The Human + AI Partnership: A Winning Combination
This partnership between human expertise and AI capabilities is creating a new paradigm in market research, where machine learning enhances rather than replaces human judgment. Whether the challenge is secondary, primary qualitative or quantitative research or social media, Ironwood often incorporates human oversight of AI tools to scale, speed up and deepen the outcomes of our engagements.
Secondary Research
- Whether it’s establishing baseline market analyses, identifying/monitoring social and technology trends or assessing regulatory and economic policy impact, secondary is a primary use of GenAI.
- We triangulate these results with human-led research using historical data, database searches, published data, to counter issues like outdated info or AI “hallucinations.”
Interviewing
- Qualitative: Our GenAI tools are often used to simulate moderator interactions in early-stage interviews, as well as in asynchronous online qualitative discussions.
- Quantitative: Chatbots, programmed to probe & clarify, can be used to enrich open-ended responses, as well as to detect bots and other fraudsters.
Synthetic Respondents
- In partnership with PersonaPanels, our synthetic respondents (SRs) are modeled and validated to mirror the behaviors and traits of real human segments—customized/ proprietary or generational, like Gen Z or Boomers.
- Our “super SR’s” are then updated with category-focused and current characteristics and routinely engaged for queries ranging from market/trend assessments to new product and communications development and optimization.
Video & Audio Analysis
- GenAI for both basic text sentiment analysis and advanced detection of emotional cues in video and audio, like facial expressions, body language and vocal tone.
Sample & Data Quality
- Ironwood leads the industry with a rigorous, multi-layered process designed to detect and mitigate online survey fraud.
- Our first-line countermeasures integrate AI-powered technology and complex scoring algorithms to detect and prevent mal activity real-time, during the screener/survey.
- Given the constant and rapid evolution of survey fraud, human logic and analytical power are still needed to ensure response authenticity, quality, and accuracy.