AI probing refers to the capability of an AI-moderated research system to detect when a participant's response warrants deeper exploration and to generate contextually relevant follow-up questions on the fly. Within AI-moderated research, this replaces the rigid branching logic of traditional survey tools with something closer to the adaptive judgment a skilled human moderator applies during a live interview. When a participant hesitates, contradicts themselves, or gives a surface-level answer, AI probing recognizes the signal and pursues it. The result is qualitative depth at a scale that human moderation alone cannot sustain, producing findings that reflect genuine consumer reasoning rather than the limits of a pre-written discussion guide.