Augmented, Not Artificial: The Future of Qual Research

At Quirks NYC, Discuss Co-Founder Jim Longo joined Stan Sthanunathan, industry legend and Executive Chairman of i-Genie to look ahead at where qualitative research is going. In this third “Shatter Assumptions” post, their message was clear: AI alone is artificial. AI plus human? That’s augmented intelligence, and that’s where the real breakthroughs live.

“AI should mean Augmented Intelligence: combining AI’s processing power with human understanding.” Stan Sthanunathan

The false finish line

It’s easy to think AI is the endgame: faster recruiting, automated moderation, instant analysis. But that’s just the starting point. The magic happens when you pair AI’s reach and speed with the things only humans bring: empathy, creativity, and judgment. That’s when you get insights that are quick to gather and actually mean something.

Why AI alone isn’t enough

Sure, AI can:

• Summarize thousands of open-ends in minutes.
• Spot trends across massive datasets.
• Trigger follow-up questions on cue.

But it doesn’t hear the hesitation before someone admits they’re frustrated. It won’t know that a certain phrase means something different in another culture. Your data can be precise, yet lack enough depth of human understanding to taint your results.

Swiping right can never replace meeting in person

Stan likens AI-moderated research to dating apps. They can narrow the field and speed up the match. But would you propose to someone based on the app’s score alone? No. You meet, you talk, you connect. Then you decide. Research works the same way: AI can help you find the “match,” but the human connection tells you if what you’re hearing is real.

Where each shines

• AI accelerates the what: Collection, processing, and organization at scale.
• Humans uncover the why: Context, emotional depth, and strategic perspective.

When you put them together, you get insights you can act on with confidence.

How Discuss approaches it

We’ve hosted over a million qualitative sessions in over 50 languages. Our AI Interview Agent can run in-depth interviews day and night across the globe. And when nuance matters most, live moderation is ready to dig deeper. Both draw on the same core of proven qual expertise.

Final thought

The future of qual isn’t about choosing sides. It’s about designing your process so AI and human insight each do what they do best. AI alone is artificial. AI plus human is augmented. That’s when the research gets real. 

In the next Shatter Assumptions post, we’ll explore the human “pixie dust” that gives researchers their competitive edge in an AI world.

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Watch Stan & Jim’s full Quirks NYC talk for more on how augmented intelligence is reshaping qualitative research →