Key findings:
- One-quarter of market researchers have used AI daily or weekly over the past three months, primarily for data analysis, data visualization, and developing data-driven recommendations
- The majority of market researchers say their leadership supports using AI-enabled MRx solutions, and more than half say their organization is likely to pay for AI-enabled MRx solutions in the next year
- Most market researchers say that AI-enabled solutions would make their insights less biased, more accurate, and faster
- Within the next five years, more than a third of market researchers think AI will completely take over data analysis and data visualization, and about one-third think it will take over writing survey questions, brand tracking, and developing data-driven recommendations
AI is already disrupting the market research industry
Market research (MRx) tasks are among some of the earliest to be disrupted by AI. According to a new SurveyMonkey poll of market research professionals conducted June 8-15, 2023, one-quarter (26%) of market researchers have used AI daily or weekly over the past three months.
The most prevalent uses are for tasks involving data: data analysis (28% say they or their team are using AI to help with data analysis), data visualization (21%), and developing data-driven recommendations (21%). However, a large portion of MRx professionals have not adopted AI into their work, with 49% never having used AI in their work over the past three months.
Organizations are ready to pay for AI-enabled MRx solutions
Even those not currently using AI are ready to get started; three-quarters (74%) of market researchers say their leadership supports using AI-enabled MRx solutions, and more than half (55%) say their organization is somewhat or very likely to pay for AI-enabled MRx solutions in the next year.
MRx professionals are optimistic about these solutions – most say that AI-enabled solutions would make their insights less biased (57%), more accurate (63%), and faster (68%). Most would find AI-generated survey questionnaires useful (61%) and nearly three-quarters (71%) think it would be useful for AI to analyze their survey data and produce insights. More than half (54%) agree that if they were in the market for a new survey platform, it would be important that the platform incorporates AI.
Market researchers are preparing for AI to take over key tasks
There is no doubt among MRx professionals that AI will be involved in many core market research tasks moving forward. Within the next five years, more than a third of market researchers think AI will completely take over data analysis (38%) and data visualization (38%), about one-third think it will take over writing survey questions (33%), brand tracking (32%), and developing data-driven recommendations (31%), while fewer think it will take over localization/translation (28%) and concept testing (21%). For all these tasks, most believe that AI will assist, but humans will remain in control; far fewer think that AI will not be involved at all.
Excitement about what AI can do doesn’t overshadow worries
Most MRx professionals feel that AI will either help more than it hurts, or equally help and hurt, their own career (36% say it will help more than hurt, 41% say it will equally help and hurt), their company (35% and 39%, respectively), and the market research industry as a whole (38% and 35%, respectively). However, about one in five think AI will hurt more than it helps their own career (18%), their company (21%), and the market research industry (22%).
While MRx professionals are excited about AI spotting new trends, making data customizable and personal, reducing bias, and improving accuracy, others have concerns. Some fear fraud, invasions of privacy, inaccurate results, and the loss of intangible human factors.
Read more about our polling methodology here.
Click through all the results in the interactive toplines below:
