The Great AI Insight Delusion

Remember when blockchain was supposedly going to revolutionise everything from finance to your morning coffee? Yet here we are, years later, with blockchain quietly sulking in the corner like that gadget you thought you needed but never actually used.

Now, the insights industry has found a new toy to obsess over: Generative AI. Yes, the same technology that can conjure up images of people with six fingers on each of their three arms is now being hailed as the future of data analysis, qualitative research and even report generation.

But let’s be honest: just because AI can do something, doesn’t mean it should.

Generative AI: The emperor's new clothes

Let’s start with the basics. Generative AI, for all its hype, is still in its awkward teenager phase. Yes, it can churn out charts, graphs and even reports at the speed of light but at what cost? These reports are often riddled with errors, lacking in context and dangerously devoid of the nuanced understanding that only human insight can provide. Remember, AI doesn’t “understand” your data. It processes patterns and spits out predictions, often with the finesse of a bull in a china shop.

Imagine handing over your most critical business decisions to an AI-generated report. It might be flashy, it might be fast but like the AI-generated images of human hands, it’s fundamentally flawed. Even if the numbers add up, what do they mean? What’s the story behind them? The AI doesn’t know and it really doesn’t care.

AI v Human insight: There’s no contest

Let’s be honest, the magic of market research isn’t in the data. It’s in the analysis, the interpretation and the ability to draw meaningful insights that drive strategy. This is where human expertise wins hands down. While AI can process vast amounts of data in seconds, it lacks the ability to discern what really matters. It can’t tell you why a trend is happening, how it connects to broader market shifts or what it means for your brand in the long run. That requires human intelligence and no AI can replicate it.

Yes, AI can help with the heavy lifting. It can sift through mountains of data, identify patterns and even suggest correlations. But at the end of the day, it’s still just a tool. It's more like a sophisticated calculator than a crystal ball. The real value comes from the human researchers who take that raw data and turn it into actionable insights. And that’s something AI will never be able to do.

The future of insight: AI as a support, not a replacement

If you're a client and an agency gives you AI generated research, ask for your money back. AI generated reports, charts and analyses will never match the depth and accuracy of human-derived insights.

The real power of AI lies in its ability to support researchers, not replace them. It can help us work faster, dig deeper and explore more data than ever before. But it will never replace the nuanced understanding, creative thinking and strategic insight that human researchers bring to the table.

Let’s not make the same mistake we made with blockchain, elevating a technology to mythical status only to realise it’s not the panacea we hoped for. Instead, let’s use AI for what it is: a powerful tool that, when used by skilled human researchers, can enhance our work and help us uncover insights that truly matter.

In the end, there’s no substitute for human insight. And that’s a fact that no amount of AI-generated nonsense can change.