We’ve heard it plenty (too much, actually): AI is reshaping nearly every part of our lives. In the market research world, that’s of course no exception. AI tools can help streamline and scale, sure, but as we’ve visited, they’re prone to missing nuances in tone and emotion (see our past thoughts on human-led insight and the role of emotion in market research).
Yet market research can go beyond gathering business intelligence. It’s a chance to show that people’s perspectives matter, and that they’re genuinely being heard (something that carries more weight than ever in the age of AI). When real human connection is part of the process, participants come away feeling seen, supported, and cared for.
A live conversation sends a very clear message to customers: you matter enough to be heard by a real person. People want to know their time and perspective are valued, and that comes across when they can share their story and experiences with someone who is listening in real time. The result isn’t just that customers feel cared for; it also leads to deeper, more meaningful insights. Subtle pauses, shifts in tone, or even a laugh mid-sentence can often reveal more than any checkbox response ever could.
Contrast this with the rise of automated approaches to collect feedback (e.g., customer chatbots and automated phone surveys) which often feel distant and impersonal. In a world racing toward efficiency, human connection remains the clearest sign of care and a reminder that real conversations still matter.
CJ Andrews — Research Manager
