Innovations and turning points seem to be more frequent and fleeting as time goes on. In the last century, we perhaps took it for granted that many trends would take a long time to be superseded by others. However, advances in technology and computing have led us to a period in which many of yesterday’s dreams have become today’s reality. What perhaps wasn’t envisioned or anticipated with the same fervor as achieving a more advanced world relates to the contradictions and redefinition of realities and ideas that we believed to be immutable.
In an environment increasingly dominated by Big Data and Artificial Intelligence, a question arises that could shake the very foundations of our activity: what is the point of doing Market Research when an AI could do the same as a team of people? Our intention is far from being pessimistic. In this week’s blog post, we want to list four reasons that justify the existence of experts in consumer knowledge.
Qualitative analysis. It’s a fact that artificial intelligence excels at a very specific type of task. Repetitive processes that demand a significant amount of time and attention from analysts are handled very efficiently by programs enhanced with machine learning. However, everything else is still riddled with errors and inaccuracies, since these new tools lack any understanding of context and spontaneous information from people; this is the exclusive domain of human beings.
Fieldwork. All manual labor is also the exclusive domain of people. The vast majority of AI inputs are introduced into learning programs through the mediation of programmers and operators; whether by writing code with instructions for the tools to refine their actions or by having workers scan millions of pages, this is what makes their development possible. In our work, we rely on interviewers and analysts to gather data and information about people’s purchases.
Nonverbal communication. Human beings communicate countless messages every day. However, in digital media, there is a strong focus on oral and written records; although efforts have also been made to access some less conventional forms of communication, such as facial expressions. Nevertheless, those best positioned to analyze messages conveyed through unconventional means are the human analysts who make Market Research as we know it today possible.
Objectivity. The Social Sciences and their related disciplines are often shrouded in a kind of veil. Many people believe they lack objectivity. If we equate the latter with the objectivity prevalent in the Natural Sciences, this belief might be valid. However, social methods demand a different kind of rigor. We must ensure that findings are based on collected evidence and not on conjecture. Today, AI has proven to be accommodating and fails to pass muster with human objectivity.
Perhaps for tasks like analyzing large databases, Artificial Intelligence is the best tool we currently have at our disposal. For everything else, human judgment and expertise still prevail. Consumers are people just like you and me. Therefore, another person with the capabilities, skills, knowledge, and experience inherent in Market Research is one of the best profiles to address your concerns in this area.
At Acertiva, we closely follow the development of new technologies that allow us to perform our work more productively and in less time. This goes hand in hand with an integration aligned with our mission and values as an agency. We put our experience at your disposal thanks to our offices in Brazil and Mexico. We are ready to leverage our twenty years of experience in the sector to help you achieve your goals of understanding brands and consumers. Contact us today and let’s write your next success story.
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