What is AI‑moderated research?

AI‑moderated research refers to automated, adaptive interviews conducted by a conversational agent that probes, follows up, and codes responses in real time. Unlike simple chat surveys, AI moderators combine voice/video conversations, dynamic probing and automated analysis. Conveo, for example, runs video‑first asynchronous interviews in which participants respond on their own schedule while AI asks clarifying questions and codes themes; more than 70 % of final insights come from AI‑driven follow‑ups. Data show that respondents tend to be more candid with a machine,83 % of respondents feel more open with an AI moderator than with a human, and 93 % rate AI interviews 4 out of 5 or better. Because the AI runs interviews asynchronously and in any language, hundreds of participants can be recruited overnight and insights are available within hours rather than weeks.

Definition and how it differs from chat surveys

AI‑moderated research combines adaptive interviewing with automated coding and theming. A concise definition is:

“AI‑moderated research = automated, adaptive interviews conducted by a conversational agent that probes, follows up, and codes responses in real time.”

Traditional chat surveys rely on static question flows and text‑only input. In contrast, AI moderation differs on three axes:

• Depth of probing: AI asks follow‑up questions and uses projective techniques (word association, image uploads, etc.), generating more than 70 % of insights from follow‑ups. Chat surveys lack this adaptive probing.

• Multimodal inputs: AI interviews capture voice and video, allowing participants to speak freely. Voice AI typically produces responses 4–5× longer than typed surveys, and participants share 20× more words.

• Automated analysis: AI moderates, transcribes, tags sentiment and clusters themes instantly, while chat surveys require manual coding. Conveo’s platform automatically generates highlight reels and slide decks, linking every insight back to the time‑stamped video.

Example: Conveo’s AI interviewer probes further when a participant mentions “healthy snacks”, asking “What does a healthy snack look like to you?”. Typeform Chat would simply record the original answer without deeper exploration.

Human vs. AI moderation side‑by‑side

Dieter De Mesmaeker, Conveo’s CEO, summarized the paradigm shift: “We can’t imagine anyone doing it the old way two years from now; 90 % of the time in qualitative research is spent on activities that can be automated”

A practical framework to run AI‑moderated studies (Four‑D Framework)

To harness the speed and richness of AI‑moderated research, teams can follow the Design → Discuss → Distill → Distribute framework:

Design , align objectives, audience and guide

1. Clarify business question: What decision must this research inform? Tight objectives drive focused guides.

2. Define target sample: Identify segments, languages and quotas; AI can suggest quotas and sample sizes based on previous studies.

3. Co‑create a topic guide: Conveo’s AI suggestion engine drafts guides and quotas automatically. For asynchronous interviews, participants record responses at their convenience, eliminating scheduling conflicts.

Discuss , dynamic probing with AI co‑moderators

During the fieldwork phase, AI co‑moderators listen actively and probe for depth. They can use projective tasks (e.g., uploading images or choosing emojis), word associations, and scenario‑based questions. Conveo reports that 70 % of insights emerge from AI follow‑ups. Example dialogue:

AI: “Tell me about a snack you ate recently.”

Participant: “I grabbed a protein bar.”

AI: “What made you choose that bar? How did it make you feel?”

Participants talk more openly when schedules are flexible and no human is watching,data show they share 3.5× more information in AI‑mediated studies.

Distill , instant theming, coding and synthesis

AI instantly transcribes and codes interviews. It tags sentiment, clusters statements into themes, and flags anomalies. Every insight links back to the time‑stamped video, ensuring transparency and traceability. “Depth scores” (a composite of response length, emotion and follow‑up count) average 4.3/5, and NPS for Conveo’s platform is 65.

Distribute , share highlight reels and searchable libraries

Once themes are distilled, researchers can export highlight reels, slide decks and searchable libraries. AI‑generated highlight reels embed 30‑second video clips that stakeholders can watch in Slack, Miro, or PowerPoint. This drives institutional knowledge reuse and helps teams make decisions faster.

ROI benchmarks and business impact

Finance teams increasingly demand hard metrics,not just “interesting insights.” AI‑moderated research delivers strong ROI across speed, cost and quality.

Speed metrics , time to first insight and total cycle time

Cost metrics , cost per interview and per project

Nestlé (a Conveo customer), claims an 81 % cost reduction thanks to AI-moderated research.

Quality metrics , openness rates, depth scores, NPS

• Openness: 83 % of respondents report feeling more candid with AI moderators.

• Depth: AI probes produce 3.5× more content compared with static surveys; voice responses are 4–5× longer than typed answers.

• NPS and satisfaction: Participants rate AI interviews 4.3/5 on average and net promoter score is around 65.

How to evaluate AI‑moderated research tools

Dozens of vendors claim to use “AI,” but only a few combine rigor, security, and integration. Evaluate tools on the following criteria:

Research rigor and methodology controls

• Customization: Look for customizable topic guides, quotas and sampling logic. The AI should allow human override of questions and quotas.

• Bias checks: Vendors should test models for bias across demographics and allow human review of generated questions.

• Validation: Ask for academic validation or published benchmarks (e.g., Conveo’s Unilever and Orange case studies) and examine metrics like openness rates and depth scores.

Security, compliance and data lineage

• Certifications: Platforms should comply with security standards like SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA and PCI DSS. Remesh stresses that it upholds SOC 2 Type II compliance and supports auto‑translation into 30+ languages. Sembly Notes explicitly states that it is SOC 2 and EU‑US DPF certified, fully GDPR‑compliant and adheres to HIPAA, PCI DSS, FERPA and Microsoft 365 requirements. Quantilope’s privacy policy confirms that personal data are processed according to GDPR and other applicable regulations.

• Data lineage: Ensure every theme links back to the raw transcript and video. This prevents hallucination and supports audit trails.

Integrations, collaboration and knowledge reuse

• Workflow integrations: Tools should export highlight reels and slide decks, and integrate with Slack, PowerBI, Miro or APIs. Remesh supports auto translation and global accessibility across 30+ languages.

• API access: For analysis‑first tools, check whether data can be fed into customer‑data platforms or dashboards. Simporter offers CSV exports and ready‑to‑use slides for further analysis.

Leading platforms and services to know

End‑to‑end platforms: Conveo, Quantilope, Remesh

Analysis‑first tools: Simporter, Sembly, AnswerThePublic

These tools do not moderate interviews but help analyze existing text, voice or search data.

• Simporter: Processes social media, reviews and e‑commerce data to spot trending topics, generate product concepts and validate them using synthetic AI panels and real consumer panels. The platform flags sentiment shifts, predicts trends by growth rate, generates concept statements and runs price tests. All results appear in a dashboard with exportable slides or CSV files. Use cases include new product launches, feature refinement and pricing strategy.

• Sembly: An AI meeting assistant that records calls, transcribes conversations and summarizes key decisions. It supports 48 languages, produces accurate transcriptions and sentiment analysis, and automatically generates meeting notes. Sembly is SOC 2 and EU‑US DPF certified, fully GDPR‑compliant and adheres to HIPAA, PCI DSS and FERPA, making it suitable for compliance‑sensitive research interviews or internal meetings.

• AnswerThePublic: A search listening tool that collects autocomplete suggestions from Google, Bing and YouTube to reveal questions, prepositions, comparisons, alphabetical and related queries around any keyword. It visualizes data in a radial search wheel grouping results by question type. Users can filter by language and region, export results as CSV or images, track how queries change over time (Pro plan), set search‑listening alerts and integrate with Ubersuggest or social‑trend data. This makes it valuable for content ideation, SEO and competitive analysis rather than interviews.

Agencies and hybrid service models

Large agencies offer AI‑assisted qualitative research combined with human consultants for complex or high‑stakes projects.

• Human8: A global consultancy that integrates generative AI into the innovation process. Its AI‑driven Innovation offer uses AI to identify opportunity spaces, optimize concepts and run AI Market Pulse analyses that detect emerging trends and reverse‑engineer problem statements. Human8 runs “supercharged workshops” where AI reframes insights and human experts develop creative ideas. The firm emphasizes that AI is deployed within a secure “walled garden” so client data remain confidential.

• Ipsos and other research agencies also experiment with AI‑moderated bots; however, most pair AI tools with experienced moderators to ensure ethical sampling, unbiased probes and strategic interpretation. These services are best for niche populations or board‑level presentations where human oversight is critical.

To decide between an AI platform and a managed service, book a demo with Conveo or compare pricing with agencies like Human8 to evaluate which model fits your project’s complexity and resources.

Frequently asked questions

Can AI moderation fully replace human researchers?

No. AI handles recruiting, probing, transcription and initial coding, automating up to 90 % of manual tasks. However, human researchers still set objectives, interpret strategic context, identify bias and craft final recommendations. AI co‑moderators expand capacity rather than eliminate the need for expertise.

How do participants feel about talking to an AI interviewer?

Participants often feel more candid with AI than with human moderators. 83 % report feeling more open and they share 3.5× more content during AI interviews. Respondents appreciate asynchronous flexibility and reduced judgment.

What sample sizes work best for AI‑moderated studies?

Most teams run 15–50 participants per segment, which balances qualitative richness with rapid turnaround. Because AI can conduct hundreds of interviews overnight, larger samples are feasible when exploring multiple concepts or markets.

How does AI avoid hallucinations and ensure data integrity?

Platforms like Conveo link every theme back to the raw video. Automated summaries must reference source data, and researchers can review transcripts. SOC 2, GDPR and HIPAA compliance frameworks (used by Remesh and Sembly) require rigorous security and data management.

Which industries get the highest ROI from AI‑moderated research?

Consumer goods, technology and telecom see the largest gains because they frequently test product concepts and messaging across global markets. CPG and telecom brands using Outset/Conveo achieved 8× faster research, 81 % cost savings and 10× more reach. However, any sector that values speed, scale and candid feedback can benefit.

Conclusion

AI‑moderated research is no longer a futuristic experiment,it’s a proven method that delivers focus‑group depth at survey speed. By following the four‑D framework, aligning objectives, leveraging AI co‑moderators for dynamic probing, distilling insights automatically and distributing findings through highlight reels and searchable libraries, organizations can unlock profound consumer understanding in hours rather than weeks. With clear ROI benchmarks and an ecosystem of robust platforms, from Conveo, Quantilope and Remesh to analysis‑first tools like Simporter, Sembly and AnswerThePublic, 2025 is the year to modernize your research stack. Start piloting AI‑moderated studies now and let your team focus on strategic interpretation instead of manual chore