I spent time with Qualtrics at its March X4 event and came away with one big idea that I just can’t shake: synthetic data.
For the uninitiated, synthetic data duplicates, mimics, or extrapolates from the real world but maintains no direct link to it. In the context of research, you’ll often hear of synthetic humans that can stand in for real folks and help shape brand, marketing, or growth strategy. This is a game-changer, and here’s why. With synthetic:
You can do more with less.
Synthetic humans don’t fatigue, don’t rush, don’t quit halfway. You can run richer, deeper, more complex studies at a fraction of the cost. Think conjoint on steroids — hundreds of attributes, countless permutations, zero eye-roll. What was once constrained by respondent patience is now limited only by your curiosity. Imagine what this does for brand positioning, perception tracking, product development, and more!
You may even get “more accurate” results.
If you’ve ever witnessed a focus group being derailed by an attention-craving oversharer or bemoaned how people say one thing on surveys and do another, you, too, would be a fan of fake people. It is possible that synthetic data reduces human cognitive biases. (With nascent technology, it may be too early to tell — do fake people learn biases from real people?) But early indicators are positive. For example, Qualtrics shared research showing that synthetic humans were far less susceptible to priming than real humans.
It’s the best of all worlds.
In response to a quantitative survey of what triggers people to go on vacations, a human panel said it’s all about the desire to be with friends and family. A synthetic panel, however, suggested that scheduled holidays (kids out of school, Thanksgiving, etc.) were the primary trigger. The truth is likely in between — and, not or. A product or brand manager takes all of these signals and adds a layer of intuition and experience to achieve clarity.
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I’m still learning how best to maximize the value of synthetic data — as are you, in all likelihood, and if so, Forrester has some great resources to help you:
We have an entire Forrester hub devoted to synthetic data.
Make sure to read Zeid Khater’s research on the topic and look out for his synthetic data glossary, to be published soon.
To learn more about what was covered at Qualtrics X4 2026, read Senem Guler Biyikli’s blog.
In June, at our CX Forums, I will host a session on how AI can power growth strategy and, among other things, discuss the role of synthetic data. You can join me in New York or San Francisco — go here to learn more.
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