Abstract:

In the rapidly evolving narrative of our age, artificial intelligence (AI) has taken centre stage, weaving its influence into every facet of conversation, from the boardroom to the water cooler. The sheer velocity of innovation in this space is unparalleled?multimodal, voice and beyond. As with any transformative technology, it has polarised perspectives: some eagerly anticipate AI's potential to reshape our world, while others approach its rise with caution and scepticism. Qualitative research is no exception to this unfolding dialogue.

A myriad of voices within our field have championed the potential benefits of generative AI. They envision it as a powerful tool that could liberate researchers from mundane tasks, assist in thematic analysis and efficiently summarise results. Conversely, there exists a contingent that views AI's encroachment into qualitative research with apprehension, advocating for resistance against its pervasive influence. At Ipsos we?re as excited as anyone else, but to preserve our integrity we feel we need to know more in order to be sure on how to guide our teams and clients. Thus, we have been experimenting for some time now and will continue to do so. To dissect the role the human and AI together could play in qualitative research, we need to delve into its fundamental components: the moderator, the respondent and the environment. Alter one, and you inevitably alter the outcome. To understand the finer nuances, Ipsos has been conducting self-funded pilot studies.