Top 3 Things UX Researchers Need to Know About AI Tools:
“One of the biggest takeaways that I keep reiterating to people is that the relationship with AI is a thought partnership.”
We wanted to know more about how AI tools impact UX research results so we did what we do best...launched a study, and here's what we learned.
1. AI driven efficiency requires attentive human oversight
Dragging your feet on starting a discussion guide? Need to uncover patterns from a large set of interviews? AI can get this done fast, but speed comes with compromise. Our study and others have found that AI materials often lack specificity, therefore researchers must use their human expertise to turn basic outputs into actionable insights.
As one expert we spoke with said: “One of the biggest takeaways that I keep reiterating to people is that the relationship with AI is a thought partnership.”
2. Don’t be misled by AI’s shine
With perfect grammar and persuasive writing style, AI tools can produce findings that seem carefully considered. But can they be trusted?
Our study found that AI tools generate well-written high-level overviews, but AI is also prone to hallucinations and can reinforce biases because the data upon which it is trained often reflects societal inequities. Relying on AI-generated content risks the potential of accepting flawed information. In our study, human researchers added much-needed subtlety, balance, and nuance to AI’s broad-level analysis.
3. Current AI tools aren’t attuned to business strategies and constraints
Though we sometimes wish we could conduct studies with blank cheques and empty calendars, that’s usually not the case. Rather, we must balance objectives with constraints to align on business strategy. But, when we asked our AI tool for a research plan, it far exceeded the budget and timeline available.
As AI tools improve, and private systems allow organizations to train AI using internal contexts, these tools will almost certainly become more adept at tailoring research to organizational priorities. On the whole, AI tools can increase the efficiency of your UX research process, but for high-quality execution and insightful results, don’t remove the human touch.
