Why AI-Enhanced Research Works – And How to Get It Right

A White Paper from Bilendi

Market research is entering a new era. Traditional approaches often struggle to balance depth with speed, and while artificial intelligence promises efficiency, most general-purpose tools lack the rigor and reliability researchers require. The challenge is clear: how can researchers embrace AI without losing the methodological standards and human understanding that define good research?

We examine why AI-enhanced research is gaining traction, how it works in practice, and what it means for the future of insights.

Why Traditional Approaches Fall Short

Despite decades of innovation, common challenges persist in market research:

• Time and resource pressure
  Designing, moderating, and analyzing studies can be time-consuming, especially for multi-country projects.

• Fragmented insights
  Quantitative surveys provide statistical confidence but often lack emotional depth. Qualitative research uncovers motivations and context but can struggle with representativeness.

• Generic AI limitations
  Many AI tools are not designed for research. They may lack methodological transparency, struggle with nuanced moderation, or fail to meet scientific standards.

The result: slower projects, higher costs, and insights that don’t always translate into confident business decisions.

Let’s explore Bilendi Discuss + BARI, an AI-powered platform built specifically for market research. 

The Power of Discuss + BARI

Bilendi Discuss combines the depth of qualitative research with the validation of quantitative methods, making studies faster, smarter, and more actionable. At the core is BARI, Bilendi’s AI designed and trained exclusively for market research.

What Makes BARI Different

• Engages like a human
  Tested against human moderators, BARI has matched -and in some cases even outperformed- them in response rates and verbatim richness.

• Analyzes at scale
  BARI processes every participant response, distilling large volumes of verbatims into clear typologies, themes, and even hypotheses.

• Research-first DNA
  Unlike general-purpose AIs, BARI is grounded in academic rigor, contributing to hundreds of studies and tested against scientific benchmarks.

• Collaborative, not replacement
  BARI supports researchers at every stage but leaves ultimate control and interpretation in human hands.
  

How It Works – End-to-End Support

BARI is embedded throughout the research journey:

1. Design – Creates structured discussion guides with clear goals, open-ended prompts, and interactive tasks.
2. Fieldwork – Moderates discussions empathetically, ensuring alignment with study objectives.
3. Analysis – Summarizes results, identifies patterns, and supports findings with quotes and percentages.
4. Reporting – Produces ready-to-use outputs, including PowerPoint summaries.

The result is streamlined research operations, higher-quality data, and insights delivered faster.

Three Powerful Research Methods

Bilendi Discuss + BARI enables flexible study designs tailored to objectives:

1. Qual Deep Dives – Bring quantitative results to life through targeted conversations.
2. Online Communities – Immersive, conversation-led spaces for exploratory research and co-creation.
3. Diaries & Longitudinal Studies – Capture evolving behaviors and consumer journeys over weeks or months.
   

Each method combines qualitative intimacy with quantitative validation, bridging the gap between “what” and “why.” AI-enhanced research is only as strong as the participants behind it. 

A Case in Point: Givaudan and the Future of Fast Food

To test the impact of Discuss + BARI, Bilendi partnered with Givaudan, a global leader in food flavours, on a multi-country study exploring the future of fast food in Europe.

Study Design

• Week 1: Quantitative survey with segmentation (n=250 per country)
• Week 2: Qualitative deep dives into current attitudes and consumption behaviors (n=100 per country)
• Week 3: Forward-looking exploration, including co-creation and concept testing

Outcomes

• Clear innovation opportunities identified, validated by both quantitative data and qualitative depth.
• Faster turnaround compared to traditional designs.
• Richer insights into emerging needs, particularly around processed meat alternatives and future food trends.

This project demonstrated how BARI’s moderation and analysis capabilities complement human expertise, producing actionable innovation strategies for a major global brand.

Getting It Right

AI in research isn’t about automation for its own sake, – it’s about augmentation. With Discuss + BARI, researchers keep control while leveraging AI for scale, speed, and richer insights. The key is adopting tools designed with research rigor at their core.

Done right, AI-enhanced research delivers:

• Faster turnaround times
• Higher quality insights
• More actionable outcomes

The future of research is not human versus machine—it is human with machine. Bilendi Discuss + BARI shows how AI can be a collaborative partner, amplifying researchers’ capabilities while maintaining methodological integrity.

AI-enhanced research works—and when done right, it changes the game.

To learn more about AI-Enhance Research and Discuss-BARI watch the following webinar: 

AI made easy – helping small teams make a big impact

Qual360 Europe is returning to Berlin in 2026!

Join us on January 28–29 to uncover the latest qualitative research methodologies, dive into real-world case studies from leading global brands, and connect with leading insights professionals from across Europe.

As the only global conference series dedicated exclusively to qualitative research, Qual360 has spent 17+ years driving innovation and building a powerful international community of passionate “Quallies.”

Regular tickets are still available — secure yours before December 28th. Register today!