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.

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