AI market research ethics and roles

In their provocative exploration of AI’s impact on qualitative research, Simon Chadwick and Kate Anderson argue that automation is reshaping the researcher’s role from methodological executor to strategic partner. As AI takes over traditional analysis and enables “qual-at-scale,” they contend that human value now lies in empathy, interpretation, facilitation, and cross-functional translation—skills machines cannot replicate. Chadwick and Anderson argue this creates a massive opportunity for qualitative practitioners to become translators and activators. In the age of AI, researchers will no longer be valued for hours worked, but for the strategic impact they create. […]