Resources on AI in UX Research

In today's tech-driven landscape, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly shaping User Research. This curated collection offers a direct dive into the latest resources on AI's role in User Research, sorted by date for easy access to the most recent insights.

From articles dissecting AI's impact on user experience to practical discussions on using AI tools like ChatGPT, this page covers diverse perspectives. Videos, podcasts, and external events provide additional avenues for understanding AI's intersection with User Research.

The following resources were previously featured in episodes of UserWeekly, the free weekly newsletter on all things User Research.

📚 Articles on the use of AI in User Research

Planning research with generative AI
With the proper context, prompts, and scrutiny, AI chatbots can be used to create a successful user-research plan. Maria Rosala 04/05
AI for UX: user research prompt best practices and framework
In the #uxignite podcast, Jakob Nielsen encouraged the UX community to embrace Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) to boost productivity. His pivotal advice was simple: “Start small, but start now.” Kuldeep Kelkar & Jamie Yoo 03/27
User research with humans vs. AI.
AI enhances but can't replace human touch in user research; real customers offer invaluable insights and nuances. Jakob Nielsen 04/03 2024
User experience research with ChatGPT: my life hacks, mistakes, and conclusions
AI integration, like ChatGPT, in user interviews at Lamoda Tech streamlined research, saving time and offering insights into user motivations, showcasing AI's potential in feedback strategies. Mike Iakovenko 03/29 2024
Top AI tools used by UX professionals
UX professionals leverage a variety of AI tools, with ChatGPT emerging as a dominant choice, highlighting the significance of specialized AI applications tailored for UX research needs. Jakob Nielsen 03/27 2024
Opinion: What Generative-AI powered tools in the field of UX Research and Design need to get right to succeed
Generative AI, exemplified by ChatGPT's massive user base, is now a staple in tech, prompting UX researchers to assess its impact on user experiences. Aditya Menon 03/05 2024
Best AI research tools: insights & recommendations
Discover essential AI tools for UX research in our blog post, highlighting key contenders and hurdles to streamline your decision-making process. Réka Pető 03/01 2024
🎉 CHI’24 Preprint Collection HCI + AI
CHI’24 preprints showcase the pervasive integration of AI across computational HCI, reflecting an interdisciplinary trend that can enrich UX research methodologies. Daniel Buschek 02/27 2024
It's the end of UX/CX research as we know it (and I feel fine)
Explore the transformative journey of UX and CX research, including the profound impact of AI and key organizational challenges, for actionable insights into maximizing research effectiveness. Alfonso Romay 01/28 2024
Best AI tools for design and research
Explore the impact of generative AI on design and research in our latest piece, uncovering its potential benefits while addressing the crucial question of its role in our profession. Laura Sima 02/15 2024
AI tools in UX Research (From AI’s Perspective)
AI tools in UX research aren't meant to replace professionals but target efficiency for others; the article cautions that without a solid understanding of user research, reliance on AI may introduce inaccuracies, biases, and problems outweighing time-saving benefits. Debbie Levitt 02/08 2024
No, AI user research is not “better than nothing”—it’s much worse
Synthetic insights are not research. They are the fastest path to destroy the margins on your product. Pavel Samsonov 02/07 2024
Overcoming UXR's "Wet blanket" reputation in the age of GenAI
User researchers are often unfairly pinned as being sticks in the mud. How can we evolve our roles in the fast-moving world of AI developments?. Karen Eisenhauer 02/06 2024
Experimenting with GenAI in design research
Cameron Hanson, Strategy Director at Smart Design, shared what she learned by conducting three experiments using GenAI for synthetic users, research synthesis, and in-person ideation. Cameron Hanson 01/13 2024
The future of UX research is brighter with AI
Five observations to help UXRs make sense of the artificial intelligence hype. Ben Wiedmaier 12/05 2023
GenAI adds tension to UXR—but can also bring opportunity
Amidst the AI storm in UX research, glean insights from 11 experts on navigating the tensions of pace, focus, and priorities—transform challenges into opportunities by shaping technology development, solidifying UX value, and balancing growth with ethics in this pivotal moment. Karen Eisenhauer 11/19 2023
Enhancing research synthesis with AI: an experiential report
Navigate the collaborative realm of UX research with AI as a dynamic pilot and co-pilot duo, finding a balance that allows AI to expand exploration while maintaining control, ensuring a nuanced and speedy dive into subjects without ceding full autonomy to the copilot. Rob Boyett 11/17 2023
AI for UX: getting started
Use generative-AI tools to support and enhance your UX skills — not to replace them. Start with small UX tasks and watch out for hallucinations and bad advice. Kate Moran & Jakob Nielsen 11/03 2023
AI as a UX assistant
Generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, are revolutionizing the work of UX professionals by taking on various roles, including content editor, research assistant, ideation partner, and design assistant, offering streamlined support for tasks ranging from text content generation to multimedia creation, and as AI becomes seamlessly integrated into existing UX tools, it's poised to further enhance efficiency and effectiveness in user experience research. Feifei Liu, Mingjin Zhang and Raluca Budiu 10/27 2023
Unreliability of AI in evaluating UX screenshots
In a discussion by Jakob Nielsen, ChatGPT-4's AI-driven UX evaluations proved unreliable, offering only 19% valuable redesign suggestions. Nielsen stresses the need for human UX expertise in differentiating AI's advice. While AI can provide diverse ideas, it's not yet reliable in identifying usability issues, leaving room for mentorship and future AI improvements. Jakob Nielsen 10/20 2023
Testing ChatGPT-4 for ‘UX Audits’ shows an 80% error rate & 14–26% discoverability rate
Testing ChatGPT-4 for 'UX Audits' reveals concerning results: it has an 80% false-positive error rate, a 20% accuracy rate in UX suggestions, and only discovered 26% of UX issues in webpage screenshots and 14% on live webpages, emphasizing the limitations of AI for comprehensive UX auditing when compared to human professionals. Christian Holst 10/18 2023
Getting started with AI for UX
Use generative-AI tools to support and enhance your UX skills — not to replace them. Start with small UX tasks, and watch out for hallucinations and bad advice. Jakob Nielsen 10/18 2023
Emergent best practices in AI-assisted design and research
Incorporating AI into Design and Research requires a human-centered framework, with three ways AI can assist: additive, augmentative, or substitutive, and following best practices like confidence in AI output, mitigating bias, and safeguarding data to ensure successful integration. Jane Davis 09/28 2023
I used ChatGPT in one of my user research projects and here is what happened
Exploring the integration of AI, specifically ChatGPT, in user research, this article highlights the potential for AI to assist in various aspects, including generating research plans, analyzing qualitative data, and crafting survey questions. It underscores that AI's limitations become apparent when translating insights into actionable business items, emphasizing the continued importance of human understanding in user research. Yagmur Erten 09/27 2023
AI in UX research: friend or foe?
AI is increasingly seen as a valuable tool in UX research, particularly for large-scale data analysis, insight extraction, and simulated ideation, with a generally positive attitude among UX professionals towards its adoption, although concerns about AI lacking human attributes persist, according to a report by UXtweak. Marek Strba 09/20 2023
UX Angst of 2023 (by Jakob Nielsen)
In the midst of some temporary setbacks, the future of UX is brighter than ever, with AI integration paving the way for a renaissance in the field. Don't be disheartened by short-term salary fluctuations or job market shifts; instead, embrace the opportunities presented by AI in UX research and design to ensure a prosperous future in the profession. Jakob Nielsen 09/13 2023
CHItaly ’23 Proceedings are out
The CHItaly '23 conference's theme is “Crossing HCI and AI”. It dives into the intersection of Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HCAI) and HCI, emphasizing the potential for intelligent systems that enhance human performance while maintaining transparency, explainability, and fairness. Explore how these fields converge to create Intelligent User Interfaces. 09/20 2023
We surveyed 1093 researchers about how they use AI
AI is becoming increasingly prevalent in UX research, with 77.1% of researchers using it in various capacities; while efficiency is a major benefit, concerns about accuracy and completeness of analysis still linger, and 49% of researchers are cautious about the types of data they use with AI. Lizzy Burnam 09/12 2023
Examining UX professionals' attitudes towards AI
UX professionals generally welcome AI in their work with cautious optimism, emphasizing responsible use and the preservation of human involvement; deeper AI knowledge correlates with more favorable attitudes and increased AI tool usage, underscoring the need for AI education and safeguards to prevent 'risk blindness.'. Dr Maria Panagiotidi 09/14 2023
Experts’ thoughts on AI-generated responses / AI participants
AI-generated responses and AI-based users lack the complexity, creativity, and human attributes required for meaningful UX research, making them unreliable substitutes for genuine human participants according to a panel of UX experts. Marek Strba 09/12 2023
Can UX researchers stay marketable w/o adopting AI?
AI adoption in UX research shouldn't be seen as a threat but as a tool to enhance efficiency, as it lacks the human touch, including creativity, intuition, and the ability to think outside the box, which are irreplaceable aspects of UX research; however, UX researchers who understand how to use AI to its fullest potential will have a competitive edge in the job market. Marek Strba 09/05 2023
What aspects of UXR are best compatible with using AI?
AI in UX research shines when it assists in data processing, like analyzing recordings for insights and patterns. However, it's not ready to replace human observation of body language and emotions. Use AI as an augmentation tool for specific tasks, not a complete replacement for human expertise. Marek Strba 08/29 2023
Changes over the last 25 years of UX Research
Over 25 years, UX research has evolved from focusing on usability to embracing the broader concept of User Experience, leading to better-designed interfaces. The field has also seen increased recognition, remote research adoption, and the emergence of research operations, with AI expected to complement rather than replace UX researchers in the future. Jim Ross 08/21 2023
Part 1: AI use among UX professionals
Discover insights into how AI is being embraced by UX professionals. While many are optimistic about its potential to transform the field, there's a cautious approach due to concerns about ethics, job disruption, and the need for human touch. The article also highlights key AI tools being utilized, their applications, and emphasizes the balance between AI and human capabilities in the UX domain. Dr Maria Panagiotidi 08/17 2023
Why UX Research has a bright future in the age of AI
AI tools are streamlining website and product creation, but the "fail fast" approach is becoming outdated. UX Research and Design will gain value by focusing on user-centered approaches, iterating based on user feedback, and optimizing information architecture and UX writing for AI tools. Christopher K Wong 07/26 2023
The Psychology of ChatGPT
The Psychology of ChatGPT: As user interfaces evolve with the adoption of ChatGPT, product researchers must understand its biases to ensure responsible usage. ChatGPT exhibits left-leaning political biases, hallucinates information, and lacks AI capabilities. Awareness of these biases can help researchers set healthier expectations and creatively leverage ChatGPT's potential while being mindful of its environmental impact. Alexandra Jayeun Lee 07/18 2023
What's happening to UX research right now?UX research is undergoing a transformation, with AI playing a significant role in enhancing efficiency and generating research questions. Embracing change, focusing on strategic value, and delivering impactful work will be crucial to remain indispensable in the evolving UX research landscape amidst democratization and layoffs. Brad Orego 07/18 2023
To get better customer data, build feedback loops into your products
Creating data feedback loops is now feasible for most products and services with the help of AI and machine learning. By redesigning products to generate natural data signals, integrating with other products, asking for user feedback, or involving humans in the loop, companies can enhance data feedback loops and create sustainable competitive advantages based on continuous learning and improvement. Andrei Hagiu & Julian Wright 07/11 2023
AI-powered tools for UX research: issues and limitations
Beware of AI-powered tools for UX research that make lofty claims but often fall short. This article evaluates several AI insight generators and collaborators, highlighting their limitations in areas such as contextual understanding, inability to process visual input, and provision of vague recommendations, emphasizing the need for caution when considering their use. Feifei Liu and Kate Moran 07/02 2023
SurveyMonkey research: market researchers are ready for AI-enabled solutions
AI is transforming market research, as a quarter of professionals are already using it for tasks like data analysis and visualization. Market researchers anticipate AI taking over key tasks within five years, such as data analysis and survey question writing, while offering less biased, more accurate, and faster insights. Zoe Padgett 06/25 2023
AI or die: ushering in a new era of user research
AI has the potential to revolutionize user research by offering timely, rich, and actionable insights. It can streamline the process, eliminate biases, bridge language barriers, and scale data collection and analysis. While AI is still in its developmental phase and faces challenges, its benefits in accelerating user research outweigh the uncertainties, making it a necessary tool for staying ahead in the rapidly evolving world of product development. Josh Davey 06/18 2023
How will developments in AI impact UXR? researchers weigh in
AI tools like ChatGPT have the potential to impact user research, but the extent of their influence is still uncertain. While some researchers see benefits in using generative AI to speed up their work and increase productivity, concerns about bias, privacy, and the loss of critical thinking and creativity remain. It is important for UX researchers to stay informed about AI developments and actively participate in shaping the technology by incorporating their knowledge of human behavior and ethics. Kathleen Asjes 06/10 2023
20+ powerful AI-based tools for UX research toolkits in 2023
AI tools for UX research and design can streamline tasks and improve collaboration, but they should be viewed as supplements rather than replacements for human designers and researchers. Understanding the capabilities and limitations of AI is crucial, and this article provides a comprehensive list of over 20 powerful AI tools that can aid UX professionals at every stage of a project, from identifying user problems to analyzing quantitative and qualitative data. Rachell Lee 06/14 2023
Using AI to analyze how your users think & feel
AI-powered user testing has emerged as a potentially transformative force in the UX industry, offering a range of benefits for gathering user insights and enhancing user experience. With its potential to accelerate research, scale efforts, and provide advanced analytical capabilities, AI-driven approaches may bring efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and real-time insights to the field of user research, empowering companies to optimize their products and services based on user needs. Shruti Goli 06/14 2023
Impressions from UXRConf 2023
UXRConf 2023 was held last week from June 7–9. The sessions from the final day covered a variety of topics, from the impact of AI on the field of UX research to improving data collection on research projects. Here's a recap of some of the sessions. Beverly Vaz 06/14 2023
Leveraging AI to optimize user research methods
AI has the potential to revolutionize user research methods, offering automated data collection and analysis, enhanced remote user testing, personalized user insights, real-time feedback analysis, and behavioral pattern uncovering. Embracing AI in user research can empower researchers to gain deeper insights and optimize user experiences for exceptional products and services. Swati Raj 05/30 2023
Why UX Research has a bright future in the age of AI
UX Research has a bright future in the age of AI as generative AI tools like ChatGPT and MidjourneyAI devalue certain skills while emphasizing the importance of UX Research and Design. As building websites becomes faster and easier, organizations have the choice to either build hundreds of ideas without learning valuable insights or take the time to understand user needs and design a valuable product, making UX Researchers and Designers crucial for user-centered approaches. Kai Wong 05/30 2023
The future of UX Research with the implementation of AI tools — it’s not ChatGPT
AI tools in UX research might in the future analyze facial expressions, generate dynamic questions, automate response analysis, identify patterns, and provide notes during interviews. These advancements streamline the process, make it cost-effective, and allow for qualitative research at scale. Human input and review remain essential. Leticia Mendonça 05/14 2023
Ten predictions for AI and the future of Anthropology
Ten speculative predictions on how AI will impact various aspects of anthropology, including archaeology, ethnography, public engagement, and research methodologies. The article emphasizes the need for anthropologists to embrace AI, actively shape its development, and address ethical challenges associated with its integration in the field. Matt Artz 05/08 2023
Goliath proving tired: GPT is not ready yet
The accuracy and practicality of different versions of Chat-GPT in the context of UX research are assessed. The findings indicate that while GPT 4 shows promise with detailed analysis and practical personas, human-led analysis remains essential, emphasizing the need to balance AI-generated insights with traditional approaches in UX research. Christophe Drayton 04/16 2023
Great question AI manifesto
Example of a UX Research tool's AI manifesto. AI is viewed as a transformative technology but its impact on UX research is seen as augmentation rather than replacement. Great Question prioritizes privacy and security, allowing users to opt in for AI features that facilitate faster workflows and empower non-researchers, while ensuring AI remains optional for users. Ned Dwyer 05/03 2023
Is AI driving us away from designing human-centric experiences?
The article explores the relationship between AI and human-centered design. The authors argue that, while AI can be a useful tool in the design process, designers need to ensure that they remain human-centric and use AI responsibly. The article provides examples of how AI can be integrated into the ideation, prototyping, and testing phases of the design process, which are also relevant for Researchers. 04/14 2023
How user research can unlock the full potential of AI tools
AI tools — whether recommendation engines, chatbots, computer vision, or generative AI — offer incredible potential. But without proper UX research, that value will remain limited. Improvements in these areas may help overcome user resistance and other barriers to adoption. And they may also help users achieve better results from tools that would be otherwise technically equivalent. Mallika Chawla 04/14 2023
Understanding the role of AI in user research (Part 3)Practical applications of AI in UX research include chatbots, image recognition, natural language processing, eye-tracking, and data collection and analysis platforms. The integration of AI into UX research practices can allow teams to gain a deeper understanding of users and create more engaging and effective experiences. Michael Knauer 04/15 2023
ChatGPT cannot do user research
ChatGPT is being touted as a tool for generating user personas quickly, but it's not actually analyzing user data. It's a language model that generates responses based on information it finds online, and its personas are pure fiction. Relying on ChatGPT to create fake personas is worse than having no personas at all. There are 5 use cases for UXR it should be used for instead. Jason Godesky 04/12 2023
ChatGPT in user research — an exciting collaboration or a dangerous temptation?
User research is an empathetic discipline that puts humans at the centre of the practice. Can tools that claim to replicate human behaviours like ChatGPT augment or hinder the practice? What are the situations where computational efficiencies can boost the process of user research and what are the safeguards needed to make the most of the algorithm?. Yovani Umavassee 03/30 2023
Sentiment analysis supercharged: ChatGPT’s groundbreaking performance
According to a recent study, ChatGPT vs. Fine-Tuned Models ChatGPT, the groundbreaking AI model, is making waves in the field of sentiment analysis. It not only rivals fine-tuned models like BERT but also shows promising potential for various applications. Cezary Gesikowski 04/13 2023
Is Artificial Intelligence (AI) the future of research?
While AI can provide sophisticated insights into user behavior and preferences, human researchers are still needed to supplement, elevate, and augment what AI tools can do. The article suggests using AI in ways that amplify the efforts of good human researchers to make research more insightful, unbiased, efficient, and ethical. James Friscia 04/13
I tried out SyntheticUsers, so you don't have to
Using AI as a replacement for interviewing actual users is a brilliant idea if you want to look like you made an effort, but are really looking to fill the page with superficial, stereotyped bullshit. Niloufar Salehi 04/08 2023
ChatGPT in User Research — an exciting collaboration or a dangerous temptation?
User researchers have been exploring ChatGPT in their practices, but there are concerns about the impact it may have on user research, such as the risk of bias and the perception of the role of humans in research. However, ChatGPT can add value to user research in areas such as ideating to reduce blind spots, creating templates for user research artifacts more efficiently, and faster quantitative analysis. Yovani Umavassee 03/30 2023
April Fools: AI Spots Usability Opportunities that Humans Can't (by NN/g)
Can generative AI outperform human UX professionals by eliminating bias, spotting usability opportunities, and predicting user behavior? Part of this article is an April Fools joke, the other part has some interesting thoughts on the use of ChatGPT for UX Research. Therese Fessenden 04/01 2023
🎉 CHI’23 Preprint Collection HCI + AI
Collection of CHI’23 preprints on topics related to computational HCI, data, algorithms, AI and related methodology, inclusively interpreted. Daniel Buschek 03/07 2023
Using ChatGPT in user experience research — some resources
Exploration of how AI tools, particularly ChatGPT, can be used in the field of UX Research. The article discusses the need for new mental models and highlights the importance of inputting diverse and unbiased data into AI systems, and suggests various resources for UX professionals looking to integrate ChatGPT into their work. Kat Theisen 02/13 2023
Can ChatGPT write a proper usability test script?
Is artificial intelligence ready to take on UX research work? ChatGPT, a generative AI with a chatbot interface, was tested for its ability to write a moderator's guide for a usability test. The outputs were impressive and created in 10 minutes. They were still imperfect however and sometimes worded awkwardly, it proposed tasks that might not be feasible without a prototype, and did not ask clarifying questions about the goals of the study. Lawton Pybus 01/03 2023

🎥 Videos on the use of AI in User Research

The Future of User Research: AI and Beyond with Andy MacMillan
Andy MacMillan, CEO of UserTesting, highlights the transformative potential of AI in user research, emphasizing the importance of scaling efforts to cover diverse users and influencing stakeholders to secure funding for research initiatives. YouTube 03/28 2024
Exploring the future of AI and research
Join Benjamin Humphrey, Co-founder and CEO of Dovetail, in a discussion on the intersection of AI and research, as he hosts a meetup in the San Francisco office. Explore the future of research with AI and how it can shape your team's research, product, and design strategy. YouTube 05/20 2023
AI users are neither AI nor users
The rise of machine learning and AI has led to companies claiming to offer products and services that can replace tasks with bots, including those offering "UX research" or "user research" services that rely heavily on AI. Some studios are using AI to generate questions and analyze data, but it's important to note that AI users are not AI, and the use of these tools doesn't necessarily replace the need for human input and expertise. YouTube 04/20 2023
Using ChatGPT in UX Research
Join Daniel Rodriguez Rouet for his session on a comprehensive understanding of ChatGPT and how it can be used in UX research and best practices for daily work as a UX researcher. This talk aims to discover the potential of the use of ChatGPT in User Research, its advantages, challenges, limitations and considerations. YouTube 03/23 2023

🔉 Podcasts on the use of AI in User Research

How is UX Research for AI and machine learning (ML) different from UX Research for design
In a brief Insights Unlocked episode, Lawrence Williams of UserTesting speaks with Dawn Procopio, founder of AI-Ethicist.com, discussing the pivotal role of UX researchers in ensuring the human-centered and ethical development of machine learning models. Spotify Apple 03/18 2024
Jess Holbrook, Director of UXR for AI at Meta
Explore the AI-UX Research intersection with Jess Holbrook, Meta's Director of UXR for AI, in the latest UX Research Rundown episode, offering unique insights into AI's future impact on the field. Spotify Apple 02/26 2024
AI and the Future of User Research
A Deep Dive with Kate Moran. Spotify Apple 02/01 2024
Contextual surveys, AI and the human touch in UX research with Ryan Glasgow
Ryan Glasgow discusses gaps in research tools, critiques traditional surveys, advocates for in-context survey research, emphasizes human value in UX research alongside AI, offers AI in customer research tips, and shares a founder's perspective on the impact of in-context research. Spotify Apple 01/09 2024
AI and UX Research
Dive into the transformative impact of AI in UX and beyond with the YouX podcast, marking the beginning of a series that explores the far-reaching implications of artificial intelligence in the evolving world of user experience. Spotify Apple 12/13 2023
The current and future role of AI in UX research with Cheryl Platz
Explore the future of AI and UX Research with Cheryl Platz in this podcast episode, where you'll demystify AI, learn about its practical applications, ethical considerations, and how it's likely to impact the UX job market, providing valuable insights as the field evolves. Spotify Apple 10/06 2023
User research, its history and future with Bob Schumacher
Exploring the roots of user research through aviation history, this podcast delves into the DNA of user research and its evolving relationship with AI, highlighting the potential for AI to become a valuable ally rather than a replacement, emphasizing the importance of human expertise in navigating the user research landscape. Spotify Apple 09/22 2023
Harnessing AI to powerfully augment user research
Views on how a new generation of AI-based tooling can help us powerfully rethink, democratise and unlock the way product teams plan and conduct research with their users. Spotify Apple 06/29 2023
CHI2023: What can academic research tell us about the current & future state of generative AI?
What aspects of generative AI are academics conducting cutting edge research currently investigating? How can UX researchers and designers apply lessons from this research in their own work? And should we learn to love or fear AI?. Spotify Apple 05/11 2023
AI anxiety: the dangers (and opportunities) of AI in research
Mike Adams discusses applications of AI in research, dangers of relying on AI, and a peek into the shifting research product roadmap. Spotify Apple 05/10 2023

📆 External events on the use of AI in User Research

Find external events on the use of AI in User Research in this public calendar.