AI has already transformed market research, but according to the new 2026 Market Research Trends report from Qualtrics, the divide between teams using basic AI and those embracing purpose-built capabilities is widening rapidly. The stakes aren’t small: research groups relying only on generic tools are four times more likely to lose influence inside their organizations.

Meanwhile, 72% of teams using synthetic responses, agentic AI, and AI-native workflows say their organizations rely on research far more than they did last year—momentum that’s translating directly into higher budgets. Traditional teams, however, are almost twice as likely to face stagnant or shrinking demand for their work.

“In today’s fast-moving economies, rapid access to consumer insights is a huge advantage,” said Ali Henriques, Executive Director of Edge at Qualtrics. “The teams embracing AI are reimagining what research looks like, asking bigger questions, and moving earlier in the innovation cycle.”

Purpose-Built AI Becomes the New Standard

AI adoption has crossed a maturity threshold. More than half of researchers now use AI regularly, and nearly nine in ten have experimented with it, but the report shows a clear shift away from generic chatbots toward AI embedded directly in research platforms. Purpose-built capabilities grew from 62% to 66% adoption, while usage of general-purpose tools dropped by nearly ten points.

The teams gaining the most traction are those leaning into specialist functions. Conversational analytics and visual content analysis—both at 49% adoption—give researchers deeper qualitative insight at a fraction of the time. What once took weeks can now be processed in hours.

Synthetic data is driving an even more dramatic evolution. Researchers using synthetic datasets are:

• 11% more likely to engage in early-stage innovation

• 7% more likely to run go-to-market studies

• 5% more likely to perform final product testing

Among those who’ve adopted it, 45% now consider synthetic data their most reliable source, surpassing traditional online panels—a remarkable shift for an industry built on human surveys.

Brands like Gabb are already using Qualtrics’ purpose-built synthetic model to reduce fielding costs, accelerate discovery, and test messaging against emerging trends. As Research Director Garred Sheppard described it, “Synthetic data became our cultural radar—cutting timelines from a week to hours while letting us validate high-stakes decisions with human panels.”

AI Agents Push Research Toward End-to-End Automation

Another major shift is the rise of agentic AI. While only 15% of researchers use AI agents today, nearly 80% expect that these tools will handle more than half of research projects end-to-end within the next three years.

Efficiency gains are already visible. Among teams using agentic AI, 84% report significantly higher efficiency, compared with 68% of those who haven’t tried it.

Henriques said the biggest unlock isn’t workload reduction—it’s democratization. Product teams can test ideas without submitting requests. Marketing can evaluate sentiment without waiting on insights teams. Executives can explore new markets directly. “The barrier to insights is no longer specialist knowledge,” she said. “It’s simply asking the right question.”

Leadership vs. Frontline: A Growing Execution Gap

Despite major investments in AI, many organizations aren’t seeing the full return. The report highlights a sharp misalignment between research leaders and individual contributors:

• 39% of leaders say AI has revolutionized their processes vs. 19% of frontline researchers

• Only 5% of leaders fear layoffs due to AI vs. 15% of individual contributors

• 68% of leaders consider themselves synthetic data experts vs. 41% of contributors

• 79% of leaders trust synthetic data quality vs. 61% of contributors

This mismatch results in underused tools, wasted budget, and slower execution—while competitors with tighter alignment surge ahead.

“When frontline teams don’t buy in, expensive AI tools go unused,” Henriques warned. “Organizations need shared definitions of success, real hands-on training, and clarity across levels about the practical applications of new AI capabilities.”

A Global Snapshot of a Rapidly Changing Industry

The findings come from a global Qualtrics study conducted in Q3 2025 with more than 3,000 research professionals across 14 countries. The data reveals a sector in transition—from manual workflows and traditional surveys to hybrid human-synthetic models, autonomous research agents, and a new definition of what strategic research teams look like.

The message from Qualtrics is clear: the teams that invest in purpose-built AI now will set the pace for the next decade of research. The ones that don’t risk being left behind.

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