8 Minutes 
Key Takeaways
- While AI technology has the potential to enhance the research process, it’s unlikely to replace human respondents entirely.
- The researcher skillset is expected to undergo significant changes by 2024, with a focus on strategic thinking, creative development, and data quality management.
- Data security and management, as well as the volume and variety of data, are key challenges for market research agencies, and steps should be taken to protect sensitive data and improve data integrity.
Get a front-row seat to the latest thinking, developments, and partnerships shaping the market research industry.
In this Article
- AI’s Role in Research
- Evolving Research Skillsets
- Data Management
- Insights Supply Chain
- Driving Change and Innovation
- Looking to the Future
Unveiling the Future of Research
In a rapidly evolving landscape where research methodologies are continually challenged by technological advancements and changing consumer behaviors, it’s crucial for industry professionals to stay ahead of the curve. Against this backdrop, Sago CEO Reed Cundiff spearheaded a thought-provoking panel session at Quirks Dallas titled “2024 Trends in Research: Fact or Fiction?”.
Panelists included:
- Deepa Iyer, Director and Head of Market Research and Data Science at Fossil Group
- Alice Butler, Senior Vice President at M/A/R/C Research
- Tanya Pinto, Principal Product Planner at Microsoft
Engaging in a dynamic discussion, the panelists shared their insights and perspectives on pressing industry questions, addressing topics such as the role of AI in replacing human respondents, the evolution of research skill sets in response to new technologies, and the challenges of data quality management. Read on for a recap of their discussion on current industry trends and get a well-rounded perspective on the industry’s present status and the emerging topics that will shape discussions in the year ahead.
AI’s Role in Research
Fact or Fiction: AI technology will replace the respondent.
As the role of AI continues to grow across all industries, the question of whether it will replace humans entirely remains ever-present. In the realm of user experience research, the question of whether AI technology will replace the respondent is still a topic of some concern.
Cundiff recognizes AI’s potential to enhance the research process by making it more efficient and engaging for respondents, researchers, and stakeholders. But added, “At Sago, we’re embracing the new era of AI, but we believe in harnessing its power to augment human expertise rather than replace it,” Cundiff said.
For Butler, the answer is “fiction.” While acknowledging that AI technology has its place in the process, she asserts that AI is only as good as the people who train the model. “AI will never be able to understand nuance and provide you with human feelings or experiences,” she noted.
Iyer, on the other hand, sees it as both fact and fiction, explaining that while AI can be used for survey responses, it’s being used to alter what customers are really thinking. “We’re now having to do things to combat this,” she said. “When using AI, there is a significant potential for bias,” she observed.
Ultimately, for Pinto, AI will never be able to replicate the variation and nuances of human respondents. “From eye tracking to how respondents make selections and respond to stimuli,” said Pinto, “I don’t think we could replace observational research with AI.”
Evolving Research Skillsets
Fact or Fiction: The researcher skillset in 2034 will bear little resemblance to the researcher skillset of 2024.
As researchers continuously adapt to emerging technologies and evolving research methods, the researcher’s skillset is sure to undergo significant changes as well.
While AI replaces some of the “tasks” that a mid-level researcher does regularly, such as screener development, discussion guides, synthesis, and reporting, Pinto argues that there will be a need for more strategic thinking and creative/concept development. “I think the speed at which data could be gathered and analyzed will be much faster, but quality triangulation of insights and leaning into how we can make more impactful recommendations as researchers will be needed,” she emphasized.
For Butler, owning data quality and being smarter about understanding fraudulent tools and how to combat them is a crucial aspect of the researcher’s evolving skillset.
Iyer believes that researchers must now be creative when conducting thorough quality checks, given that basic cleaning, straight-lining, and speed aren’t enough. “On the plus side, because of AI and how fast we can analyze and collect data, we are not afraid to ask more open-ended questions, and researchers will need to have and develop new skill sets,” she added.
Data Management
Fact or Fiction: Market research agencies are doing enough to protect and manage your data.
Data security has become a significant concern across all industries, but even more so for agencies managing sensitive data. When asked about whether MR agencies are doing enough to protect and manage data, Butler believes it’s important to stay up to date on possible risks and train staff on security protocols along with how to respond and react to data breaches and how quickly issues are identified and fixed.
Iyer mainly relies on agencies or market research firms when it comes to handling and sharing information. However, given the importance of data management, it’s necessary to ensure that steps are taken to protect sensitive data and mitigate the risk of potential security breaches.
Insights Supply Chain
Fact or Fiction: Volume and variety of data is the biggest challenge in the “insights supply chain.”
Data collection and management aren’t the only challenges that research teams face. Researchers have to manage large volumes of data from various sources. So, is the volume and variety of data the biggest challenge in the insights supply chain?
Iyer thinks that it’s a delicate balance, requiring the harnessing of the right amount and variety of data to tell clear stories about customers. “You need the systems in place to keep up with all the data to make it work,” she commented.
Pinto noted, “we have an abundance of data” at Microsoft, and the challenge has never been about the volume, as they’ve always had that in spades. The challenge, she argued, is knowing what to do with it and how to anticipate what is needed next- proactive insights, trend analysis, market sizing, and new media.
“An obvious component of data management is data quality,” Cundiff pointed out, noting that it’s imperative for companies to partner with trusted market research agencies that aim to increase data integrity, safeguard against fraud, and ensure reliability throughout the survey process. “To that end,” Cundiff said, “Sago has a built-in five-step approach to ensuring data quality that includes innovative recruitment techniques and fraud detection technologies.”
Driving Change and Innovation
Fact or Fiction: Researchers do not control whether or not they have a seat at the senior leadership table.
Finally, it’s critical to consider the role of market research in facilitating innovation in business. For these experts, having researchers present at the senior leadership table is essential for driving change, generating insights, and making sure research insights impact the company’s bottom line positively.
However, having a seat at the senior leadership table will depend on the organizational hierarchy and how much research is valued. For Pinto, it’s great when research is embedded in workflows and processes, adding more impact and value. For Butler, it’s about training researchers to communicate better with senior management. And For Iyer, the industry must work more to help leadership become more intimate with data and analysis to drive change.
Looking to the Future
As AI becomes more of a fixture in the user experience research field, it’s essential to explore how it complements and enhances human-led research and its potential impact on the industry’s future. Ultimately, there’s little doubt that research skill sets will change as researchers adapt to emerging technologies and trends, and there is a need to ensure data management and security receive the attention they demand. “Looking to the future,” Cundiff said, “it’s important for the industry to keep sight of one main truth: The human voice should always be at the center of everything we do.”
