Models In, Culture Out? Protecting the Human Premium in AI-Fueled Research

A quiet revolution is underway in market research where synthetic personas are increasingly replacing real people as respondents and researchers. These technologies promise speed, cost savings, and efficiencies, but simultaneously trigger a foundational credibility crisis. When AI models rely on Western-centric, backward-looking data, brands risk making million-dollar decisions within a digital echo chamber—divorced from real people, real-time emotion, and situational context.  In this episode of CultureConnect, we delve into what research companies need to do to pivot from being data collectors to becoming the ultimate arbiters of cultural truth so that "growth audiences"—including people of color, the LGBTQ community, and the disability community— do not face increased exclusion in the insights pipeline that fuels everything from creative briefs to policy memos. Guests: Wendi Dunlap: EVP, Business Analytics; OmnicomPooja Iyer: Assistant Professor, Department of Advertising, Public Relations & Design; University of Colorado BoulderMarisa Zalabak: Co-founder Global Alliance for Digital Education and SustainabilityBrandon Graboski: Vice President Research; GLAADThe CultureConnect podcast is hosted by Janelle A. James, US Head of Cultural Intelligence at Ipsos.