CMSWire: The CX Teams Moving Fastest Are Rewriting How AI Research Works

This article was written by Greg Kihlström for CMSWire. Read the full article here.

As customer expectations accelerate, CX leaders are turning to synthetic research and agentic AI to test experiences before customers ever feel the friction.

Like many other components of the broader business environment, the market research industry has reached an AI tipping point. Research teams using purpose-built AI, such as synthetic data and agentic capabilities, are gaining significant budget and organizational support. In contrast, traditional teams are four times more likely to report declining influence within their organizations.

The 2026 Market Research Trends report from Qualtrics reveals a critical divergence in organizational strategic influence driven by AI adoption. Rapid access to consumer insights and business intelligence is now a substantial competitive advantage. Teams using cutting-edge approaches like synthetic research and agentic AI report that their organizations rely on research significantly more than they did a year ago (72% agreement). This dependency translates directly into budget gains.

Let’s look at some key takeaways and their impacts on marketing and other business leaders.

This article was written by Greg Kihlström for CMSWire. Read the full article here.