
03 Feb “AI IS THE ENGINE OF THE BIGGEST CHANGE EVER IN OUR SECTOR”
The research and insights sector rarely stands still, but today there’s a movement underway that has the potential to turn everything upside down. We’re talking, as you’ve undoubtedly guessed, about artificial intelligence. For CUBE Chairman Tom De Ruyck, it’s by far the most important trend he has seen this year.
Tom’s epiphany occurred at this year’s ESOMAR Congress, held in September in Athens. “I think that at least 80 percent of all the presentations I saw there were either about AI or used AI”, he says. “Last year at ESOMAR, that ratio was more like 20/80. So, in just twelve months, it has completely flipped. And to me, that indicates something fundamental is changing.”
The big difference compared to previous years is that, while AI has been on the horizon for a long time, we’re only now beginning to see its real breakthrough, Tom believes. “Until now, it was always: ‘It’s coming!’ and ‘Prepare yourselves!’. Today, it’s here – the technology is being used in real-world projects. And it’s not just our sector that has embraced AI, our clients are, of course, also engaged. They’re using AI to work differently and meet their budget constraints. For them, AI is a tool to do more with less and build extra competitiveness, which inevitably has implications for us as well.”
The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread
In many publications and the mainstream media, an incredibly rosy picture is painted of artificial intelligence. The technology is hailed as the best invention since sliced bread, and it seems there’s nothing AI cannot do. This euphoria won’t last, Tom thinks. “At the moment, we’re at the peak of inflated expectations on the Gartner Hype Cycle. So, it wouldn’t surprise me if 2025 turns out to be the year of disillusionment. It’s almost inevitable, we still don’t fully understand what AI can and cannot do. There’s a lot of trial and error and experimentation. But I am absolutely convinced that at some point the technology will fundamentally change the way we work. AI undoubtedly has its limits, but it will also bring about one of the biggest transformations our sector has ever seen.”
AI differs from previous innovations, Tom adds, in that its impact will be felt far more deeply. “AI doesn’t just bring efficiency improvements; it also creates additional value. That’s what sets it apart from, for example, the shift from post to telephone that we saw thirty years ago or the shift from telephone to online twenty years ago. Those shifts were primarily driven by efficiency gains because we could work faster and cheaper. AI also offers those efficiency gains, but it simultaneously brings entirely new possibilities.”
Blurred Boundaries
This will also mean that the entire workflow of today’s research firms will need to be rethought, Tom predicts. “We’re already using a lot of great tools today, and that’s all well and good. But there will come a time when, influenced by AI, we’ll work differently. Will we still need to spend so much time and effort on primary research, for example? I’m not so sure. At the very end of the chain, I also see many opportunities to use AI—for visualization, drawing conclusions, and making recommendations. This will bring us closer and closer to creative agencies. The reverse is also happening; creative agencies are increasingly entering what was traditionally our domain: research and consulting. The boundaries between the two will become increasingly blurred.”
The people working in both types of agencies will also feel the impact, Tom notes. “It will be an era of learning and unlearning, and hybrid talent will become increasingly important. Employees who can only fill one role, for example as quantitative data analyst, will struggle. Those who know how to work with AI and extract its true value will be in high demand. That said, I also believe that over time, the purely technical skills needed to use AI will become less important. As the machines become more and more user-friendly, those skills will no longer matter as much. A technical whizzkid may eventually be outclassed by someone who deeply understands the client’s business, asks critical questions and challenges the client.”
A Positive Story
After hearing Tom’s arguments, we’re left wondering: is this a hopeful message or more of a warning? Tom is unequivocal. “This is absolutely a hopeful message,” he says. “AI will help ensure our sector becomes more relevant again. When important decisions are being made at the boardroom table, we will have a voice. That new momentum was much needed, in my opinion. I’m not saying it will be easy or that everything will be a walk in the park. But in the end, this will undoubtedly be a positive story for the status of the entire sector.”