Many celebrate AI for one thing. Speed. Faster surveys, automated transcripts, instant summaries. But in research, speed alone is a shallow win. When AI is used only for efficiency, we definitely get to answers faster, but not to better answers that actually help us to better understand our customers.
The real opportunity for AI in research isn’t automation, it’s amplification. Thoughtful AI application in research doesn’t replace human connection, it deepens it. It helps uncover richer meaning in open feedback, detect emerging customer signals earlier, and reveal motivations customers may not explicitly say. It shifts the goal from “How fast can we close this study?” to “How much closer can we get to the people who matter most?”
And closeness still matters. A survey by Ernst & Young found that 54% of consumers value human interaction or assistance for all purchases, even in digital environments. Human values, emotion, and trust remain the true differentiators in customer experience. As the research highlights, “Technology should not be considered a replacement for human touchpoints but as an enabler for better human-led experiences.” The same is true in research, AI should enhance human understanding, not eliminate it. That belief is at the core of Alida’s product strategy. Rather than using AI to remove researchers from the process, we’re using it to bring teams closer to customers.
Our goal isn’t to automate research for the sake of efficiency, we set out to make space for better research. The kind that keeps customers involved, uncovers deeper motivations, and strengthens decision-making across the business. That starts by removing the biggest barrier researchers face today, time lost to process. Alida’s recent product enhancements do exactly that, streamline the operational side of research so teams can reinvest their time in customer connection, exploration, and insight activation. With extended AI capabilities, new question types, and reporting and analysis improvements, we’re helping research teams move faster without sacrificing depth or human connection.
Here’s a snapshot on some of our latest AI platform enhancements:
- The Alida AI Assistant: Get real-time guidance to improve your analysis, summarize findings, and share insights like never before. Apply AI Summary and Sentiment Analysis to further explore ideas and recommendations.
- AI-powered Member Group Builder: Simply describe who you’re looking to do research with and our AI-powered search will quickly surface the right participants.
- AI Follow-Up: Get higher-quality, more insightful responses from users on open ends. Mitigate low-quality responses by having AI ask thoughtful follow-up questions so you get the full picture.
- AI Copywriter: Scale your community post content creation directly built into your Member Hub workflow. Boost content quality and brand voice consistency to keep your members engaged.
The belief that technology should enhance human understanding, not eliminate it, has driven every decision in our product development strategy. By applying Thoughtful AI and powerful new tools, we've successfully made space for better and faster research that continues to prioritize customer connection. Ultimately, our goal is to amplify your research team, guiding you closer to the people who matter most.
Ready to spend less time on process and more time on powerful customer connection? Visit https://www.alida.com/ai.
