“I can’t imagine my life without my phone,” a friend once told me, which made me pause and reflect: Is it the same for me? In a way, yes—but not for the reasons most people might think. For me, it’s less about the device itself and more about the connections it facilitates. Conversations. Stories. Perspectives.
I have always been drawn to the quiet power of conversations. There’s a kind of alchemy that happens only when we sit down with another person, look into their eyes, feel their presence, ask the right questions, and listen—not just with our ears, but with our hearts. These moments of human connection have always felt sacred to me, and they are what led me to a career in qualitative research.
For over a decade, I’ve been immersed in this work: uncovering stories, piecing together narratives, and chasing the elusive “why” behind human behavior. Qualitative research, I believe, is the beating heart of understanding. It’s messy, complex, and deeply rewarding. But it’s also grueling. The time, resources, and manpower it requires can take everything out of you.
Here lies the paradox: I know the value of qualitative research better than most, but I also understand why it’s not embraced as widely as it should be. People see the obstacles—financial, logistical, and emotional—and they turn away. They settle for the simplicity of numbers, for neat rows of data, for conclusions that fit into tidy bar charts. But those of us who’ve done the work know this: the richness of qualitative insights is worth every ounce of effort.
Still, I’ve spent many sleepless nights wrestling with a question: How can we make this kind of research more accessible? How do we bring the power of qualitative insights to more people, without stripping it of its humanity?
A Fateful Conversation
We began talking about the challenges we faced in our work. For me, it was the exhausting process of gathering qualitative data and how few people had the resources to do it right. For them, it was the drive to apply AI to solve real-world problems. Then, they said something that stopped me in my tracks: “What if we used AI to make qualitative research easier?”
My anthropologist instincts kicked in immediately. I could feel the skepticism rising in me. AI? In qualitative research? Surely not. This field is about people, not machines. It’s about emotions, not algorithms. How could a piece of technology ever hope to capture the depth, the nuance, the raw messiness of human life?
As it turns out, this skepticism is common. In the conversations I’ve had with other researchers, market analysts, and leaders in various fields, the idea of AI replacing human intuition often feels like an affront to the work we hold sacred.
But there was a flicker of curiosity buried in my doubt. And so, I leaned in.
What followed was a series of late-night conversations and brainstorming sessions that I can only describe as transformative. We dissected every aspect of qualitative research—what worked, what didn’t, and where AI might fit. Could it help with tedious tasks like transcription? Could it make surveys more dynamic and engaging? Could it ask better follow-up questions, ones that go deeper than the superficial “yes” or “no”?
We didn’t have all the answers, but we had the most important thing: a shared vision.
Testing the Waters
I began experimenting—tentatively at first, then with growing confidence. And the more I tried, the more I realized something incredible: AI wasn’t here to replace the human touch. It was here to amplify it.
One article gave me a sense of validation that I didn’t know I needed. Scholars at the London School of Economics developed a chatbot powered by a large language model. It didn’t just collect responses—it engaged participants in conversations, asking follow-up questions with what researchers called “cognitive empathy.”
The results were stunning. Participants gave 142% more detailed answers compared to traditional methods. Many even preferred the chatbot over a human interviewer, describing it as “nonjudgmental” and “safe.”
This wasn’t an isolated example. Behavioral economists at CESifo in Munich conducted 381 qualitative interviews using an AI interviewer to uncover why people don’t participate in the stock market. The insights were deep and nuanced, proving that AI could enhance qualitative research at scale.
A Dinner Party Experiment
This year, I decided to test the power of AI in a deeply personal way. I was hosting a dinner party for my team—a group of 21 people. Normally, I’d guess what food and drinks they might enjoy. But this time, I turned to Qualz.ai, the platform I’ve helped build.
I created a dynamic survey in minutes, allowing my team to go beyond ticking boxes and share their preferences in their own words. The survey took them less than three minutes to complete, and the AI analyzed their responses almost instantly.
To my surprise, dishes like syabhale, thulo momo, and keema noodles (if you know, you know) topped the list—choices I hadn’t even considered. Armed with these insights, I planned a menu that reflected their desires. I skipped items they didn’t want, saving time and money.
The result? A dinner party that felt personal, thoughtful, and memorable. My team got to eat and drink what they wanted—not just what I assumed they might like. From survey creation to analysis, the entire process took 15 times less time than it would have without AI.
Reflections on 2024
As I look back on this year, I feel a profound sense of gratitude. Gratitude for the growth, the learning, and the countless “aha” moments along the way. Gratitude for the technology that’s transforming qualitative research, making it faster, more accessible, and more impactful.
But most of all, gratitude for the stories. For the human voices that AI helps us amplify, not replace.
The journey isn’t over. There’s so much more to explore, so much more to learn. But I can’t help but feel hopeful for what lies ahead. I hope that one day, no one will be held back by the barriers that once made qualitative research feel out of reach. I hope insights will flow freely, empowering people to make informed decisions with ease.
If my work at Qualz.ai can play even a small part in that transformation—if it can help even one more person’s story be heard—I’ll consider it a success.
Here’s to a future where technology and humanity walk hand in hand, where stories are never lost, and where progress is guided by the power of understanding.