Want to know where your team stands compared to 3,000+ peer researchers—and what it means for staying competitive?
The 2026 Market Research Trends Report surveyed 3,000+ global researchers and found that only 13% still identify as "traditional" (not using AI in their workflows). Those teams are seeing budget cuts, declining demand for their work, and less influence at the strategy table. Meanwhile, teams adopting AI are gaining ground fast.
A few things stood out:
- General-purpose LLMs like ChatGPT are losing ground to purpose-built research platforms that actually understand survey methodology
- There's a major perception gap: 83% of research leaders say AI improved efficiency, but only 65% of individual contributors agree
- "Democratizing insights" is emerging as the top AI benefit, giving researchers time back for strategy instead of execution
For a deeper dive into those findings, tune into the on-demand webinar with Qualtrics experts Ally Rodriguez and Emily Curry. They walk through all four trends, break down the AI adoption curve (from assisted to synthetic to agentic), and tackle questions on validation, B2B applications, and what this means for where research is headed.
Where does your team sit on the adoption curve? What's holding you back—budget, time, leadership buy-in, or something else?
