Tracking generative AI: How are insights suppliers using it?

The Research Live editorial team has been covering developments in the area, exploring its possibilities for market research. In addition to regular coverage of the issue, we will list and briefly summarise launches, updates and other developments from the sector related to generative AI here.

If you’ve been working on a project related to generative AI or you’ve launched a service or tool that you’d like to see featured here, contact katie.mcquater@mrs.org.uk. We will endeavour to update this page ad hoc.

Last updated: 22.04.24

2CV has launched three AI-assisted tools: Talkbot, which focuses on chatbot surveys; Insight.AI, which assists thematic analysis of unstructured data; and SmartProbe, which uses conversational AI to unlock additional qualitative depth within traditional surveys. The Talkbot and SmartProbe releases are part of a partnership between 2CV and conversational AI company NEXXT INTELLIGENCE.

ACCENTURE is to invest $3bn over three years into its data and AI practice.

BASIS RESEARCH GROUP has launched a business that uses generative AI to surface insights, Ideas.AI. The division will capture and analyse data sources across social media – including Instagram, TikTok and Reddit – search platforms and online storefronts, by applying generative AI to a data lake.

BILENDI & RESPONDI has released an AI research platform called Bilendi Discuss, which incorporates ChatGPT and features a multi-channel approach to gathering insights, particularly qualitative research.

BRANDWATCH has updated its in-app artificial intelligence analyst to include GPT technology and produce natural-language summaries that highlight themes and trends within data sets.

COLOOP is building a ChatGPT-powered, purpose-built AI tool for qualitative research that will allow users to upload interviews, ask questions and receive referenced answers which link back to verbatim and audio/video evidence.

DISCUSS.IO has launched a generative AI tool for qualitative research. The tool will aim to help carry out administrative tasks associated with qualitative research, including creating summary reports from interview recordings and notes.

ETHOS has introduced a generative AI tool for qualitative studies that will use generative AI to analyse data, identifying key findings, patterns and trends.

FIREFISH senior staff Jem Fawcus and Richard Owen have launched a separate company, QUALIFYAI, to help automate qualitative research. QualifyAI will work with AI consultancy DEEPER INSIGHTS to build custom AI agents trained on two decades of qualitative research data to help speed up and automate qual.

FLEXMR has created an integrated qualitative data analysis tool called TextMR, which uses AI to analyse a custom range of qualitative responses, codify and categorise and provide a summary for stakeholders and researchers. TextMR is the qualitative counterpart to FlexMR’s quantitative analysis tool NumbersMR and interactive reporting tool ActivateMR, all of which are part of the business’ InsightHub platform.

ITERATE.AI has open-sourced its large language model AppCoder on code hosting platform Github.

MARKETCAST is exploring how generative AI can be used to minimise manual tasks, including automating survey creation for its daily ad measurement surveys, and is building generative AI into its internal research platform used to plan, field, and finish custom research projects and advertising testing. 

MELTWATER has added AI-based writing and research tools to its system. Among the new features are an ‘insight assistant’ that surfaces consumer and market information and patterns, and a tool that allows users to capture insights from video content on social platforms. 

METOMIC has launched a browser plug-in that business leaders can use to monitor what sensitive data employees are uploading to generative AI platform ChatGPT.

MINTEL has launched a closed-loop generative AI market intelligence tool. The tool, called Mintel Leap, is based on Mintel’s own research, data and analysis and seeks to deliver research and recommendations on people, products and categories.

MMR RESEARCH and NEXXT INTELLIGENCE have joined forces on a partnership that will see Nexxt Intelligence’s generative AI tool integrated into MMR’s consumer surveys. NOVA (MMR’s in-house innovation team) has been conducting experiments with applying large language models to consumer research.  

MRI-SIMMONS and DEEP LABS have launched an ‘always-on’ data enrichment tool for the payment industry.

PHEBI has added a generative AI element to its research platform that will be used to help summarise research results, including AI-generated summaries of what people say in audio and videos collected during research projects.

PRODEGE has added AI Survey Tools to its POLLFISH platform to help build surveys, with keywords and survey objectives leading to the creation of a structured survey with relevant questions and response options. The resulting questions and responses can be edited and new questions added as well. 

QUALTRICS has launched generative AI based video feedback tools including automated summaries for video feedback, in-depth interviews and focus groups.

QUALZY has used OpenAI technology to support project design, moderation, analysis and multimarket projects.

QUESTIONPRO has launched a generative AI tool to design surveys. Users of the company’s research platform can use the feature to build surveys using a conversational interface, defining research topics and generating survey questions.

QUMIND has launched the first in a series of generative AI tools to help gather and analyse customer insights. The tool, called QuAI, will help users of the QuMind platform create reports analysing qualitative and/or quantitative data using OpenAI.

SHAPIRO+RAJ has developed AQuA, a generative AI tool that uses the OpenAI APIs to search, summarise and extract quotes from large amounts of qualitative data. 

SIGNOI has released a beta version of an AI tool for analysing text and imagery data called Mr Toad, which will produce reports from text and imagery data and is powered by a large language model.

SPRINKLR has launched an AI tool to gather insights from unstructured customer experience data, using an integration with OpenAI.

STRAT7 uses AI to inform strategy, as well as using natural language processing, computer vision and a generative AI toolkit to guide cultural, customer, category and brand strategies. STRAT7 also runs cultural trends platform Crowd Signals, and Strat7GPT for use of generative AI. The Strat7.ai team is currently integrating AI into Whycatcher, an automated mobile surveying tool that  uses Whatsapp with text, video and audio.

STRAT7 RESEARCHBODS has released an AI survey chatbot to help users gain insights on open-ended questions. The chatbot will use AI to engage survey participants in interactive conversations.

STRAVITO has added generative AI to its Answers platform to help support the search experience and insights. The company has also has launched a generative AI-based conversational search engine tool called Stravito Assistant for its enterprise insight management platform.

THE LOGIT GROUP and NEXXT INTELLIGENCE have conducted ‘research on research’ projects to understand the impact of generative AI, with a focus on answering questions that market researchers have about the use of conversational AI in surveys.

VERITONE has launched a conversational intelligence tool for gathering insights. The tool, called Ask Veri, will allow Veritone Digital Media Hub users to extract actionable insights and execute workflows from their media archive data through a generative AI-enabled, chat-based tool.

VOXPOPME has added an AI video survey automation tool that will allow users to create survey questions using OpenAI’s ChatGPT. The company has also partnered with Microsoft to launch an AI insights tool for qualitative research called Voxpopme AI Insights, which uses Azure OpenAI Service to integrate ChatGPT directly onto Voxpopme’s research platform.

YABBLE has launched a plugin on the ChatGPT plugin store, which combines ChatGPT, social media and trend data to answer research questions.

YEXT has developed an AI-based content management system that generates its own material. It uses multiple large language models to generate and suggest business-specific content.

ZAPPI is using AI to determine the quality of respondents entering its system and removing bots and sample farms; creating automated reporting; and carry out chatbot-style interviews, moving more to text than numeric-based interviewing.