The Wrong Problem: AI Solved Speed and Scale. The Real Challenge Is Insight Drift

AI has transformed qualitative research by making studies faster, larger, and more affordable than ever before. But in solving for speed and scale, has the industry overlooked a more fundamental issue?

As interviews become increasingly dynamic – whether led by humans or AI – variability in question delivery and probing can lead to insight drift: what happens when variability in both question delivery and probing causes the research findings to gradually move away from the original objective.

This session challenges the assumption that more conversations automatically produce better insights. Instead, attendees will explore why consistent question delivery, disciplined probing, and maintaining alignment with the original research objective are equally important as speed and scale.

Learning Objectives

• Recognize why speed and scale alone do not guarantee better qualitative insights.
• Understand how variability in question delivery and probing can lead to insight drift and undermine confidence in research findings.
• Learn a framework for evaluating qualitative research through consistent question delivery, disciplined probing, and maintaining alignment with the original research objective.