Qualtrics has introduced synthetic panels and a new Research Hub to its market research software, aimed at helping organizations shorten research cycles and enhance the reuse of existing studies. This update, which focuses on efficiency and cost-effectiveness, is initially available for US consumers.
The synthetic panels utilize a finely-tuned large language model specifically built for market research, claiming to deliver results in hours rather than weeks, and at about half the cost of traditional human panels. Qualtrics asserts that this model achieves “12x better accuracy in matching human responses than general-purpose AI”, making it suitable for concept testing, messaging, and product decision-making.
Alongside these synthetic panels, Qualtrics has created a workflow that integrates synthetic and human panels in one platform. This includes first-party customer panels, over 200 million third-party respondents, and specialized participants for qualitative research. Qualtrics plans to extend its synthetic panel offerings to the UK, Ireland, Canada, and Australia, as well as New Zealand, with a rollout expected in the first half of 2026.
In tandem with synthetic panels, Qualtrics has launched the Research Hub, which is designed to organize and query past market research scattered across departments. The hub transforms existing research into a conversational system, enabling teams to pose questions and receive evidence-backed answers within seconds. It features AI Summary & Recommendations, which surface and link findings across an organization, thereby reducing duplication and facilitating easier access to earlier research.
As a practical illustration of the Research Hub’s capabilities, Qualtrics referenced a global consumer retail brand that utilized the hub to address internal questions based on previous ad hoc surveys, such as shifts in consumer comfort over time. Rather than manually sifting through past projects, staff can now search a topic and quickly receive relevant summaries and themes.
In cases where existing data falls short, the hub can recommend research methodologies, including Conjoint and MaxDiff. This feature is particularly beneficial for diverse organizations looking to maximize the utility of their accumulated data.
Qualtrics reports that its clients, including Navy Federal Credit Union, Zip, Loop Earplugs, and Dollar Shave Club, are leveraging these tools to reduce research timelines from weeks to mere hours. This acceleration is attributed to a combination of synthetic and human panels, along with quicker access to existing research via the Research Hub.
One notable project involved Gabb, a company specializing in child-focused technology. Gabb integrated synthetic panels with traditional human panels for product and marketing initiatives aimed at addressing parental concerns. According to Qualtrics, this approach yielded insights “98% faster, at half the cost,” with results closely aligning with data from human panels. The company emphasized that synthetic data serves as a “cultural radar,” enabling swifter preliminary testing while reserving human research for high-stakes decisions.
Brad Anderson, President of Products, Engineering, User Experience, and Security at Qualtrics, explained that the synthetic panel initiative began with a focus on ensuring accuracy. He noted the importance of providing organizations not only with speed but also with rigor, stating, “With our synthetic model, we started with the hardest problem: building synthetic panels that deliver research-grade accuracy.” He highlighted that the advanced research capabilities allow organizations to gain insights in hours instead of weeks, while surfacing years of research in mere seconds.
As Qualtrics seeks to address long-standing challenges in market research—namely, the time and cost associated with recruiting and conducting studies, as well as the difficulties of locating and reusing prior research—it continues to emphasize the significance of data integrity in AI-driven research. The company argues that stakeholder trust hinges on the quality of the underlying data and the methodologies employed for critical decisions.
With synthetic panel coverage soon expanding beyond the US, Qualtrics is poised to make a significant impact on the market research landscape, potentially reshaping how organizations conduct and utilize research for years to come.
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