Focus groups with AI agents

Run AI-moderated focus group discussions with multiple synthetic personas.

Focus groups let you simulate multi-participant discussions using AI personas. Create a group of personas with different backgrounds and watch them discuss your research topic, generating diverse perspectives and debate.

testingaifocus-groupsqualitative10-20 minutesIntermediateResearchersProduct teamsUX teams

Steps

  1. Open Focus Groups
    Click Focus Groups in the main navigation sidebar, or access focus group features from within the survey editor.
  2. Step 1: Select participants
    Choose 2-6 AI personas to participate. You can use existing personas from your Audiences library or create new ones. Each participant is color-coded for easy identification in the transcript.
  3. Step 2: Write a discussion guide
    Add up to 5 discussion topics. For each topic, write a main question and optional probe questions (up to 5 probes per topic). Set a round limit per topic to control discussion depth.
  4. Step 3: Configure the session
    Choose the AI model, set a moderator style (neutral, challenging, or empathetic), pick a group dynamic (natural, debate, or consensus), and set the maximum number of rounds (5-50).
  5. Review the transcript and summary
    Watch the discussion unfold in a color-coded, real-time transcript with topic dividers. When the session completes, an AI-generated summary highlights key themes, points of agreement and disagreement, notable quotes, and per-participant analysis.

Focus groups complement synthetic testing by generating qualitative discussion rather than individual survey responses.

Each persona brings a unique perspective shaped by their demographics, attitudes, and background. Participants speak in round-robin order, and the AI moderator steers the conversation based on your discussion guide.

After the session, an auto-generated summary includes 3-5 key themes, points of consensus and conflict, notable participant quotes, and a per-participant analysis showing key contributions and stance evolution.

Use focus groups early in research design to identify blind spots, test question wording, and discover topics you may have missed.

Focus groups with AI agents | QuestionPunk