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Editorial · Research practice

Synthetic audiences are a rehearsal, not research

Simulated reactions can help teams prepare better questions without becoming customer evidence.

Updated August 2, 20266 minute readUse simulation to challenge a draft; use real-world evidence to support a customer claim.

The useful part is the challenge

A synthetic check can suggest ambiguity, missing context or a counterargument. Those signals can make a draft or a research plan stronger.

The dangerous part is the certainty

Generated people did not see the campaign, buy the product or consent to a quote. A polished scorecard does not change that boundary.

  • Label every simulated response.
  • Avoid names and documentary framing.
  • Do not turn a model score into a market prediction.
  • Escalate important unknowns to real evidence.

A good rehearsal improves the real conversation

If the exercise leaves the team with a sharper interview question or a clearer testable assumption, it has done useful work without pretending to be something else.