Best reads for PMs & Designers
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Topics
Sources
Updated 6 Nov
UX researchers and data scientists warn that synthetic users can't replace research with real people
Discovery & Research
- Two separate Reddit researchers, two Nielsen Norman Group pieces, and two independent essays converge on the same warning against synthetic and dogfooded research.
- The six come from unconnected teams and contexts, and each draws a hard line specifically around user research.
- Six pieces is a small sample, and two of them come from the same organization.
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sources
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last 30d
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First seen 3 Jun 2026
If you are a PM
BeforeNow
Simulated users replace the studyUse them for a first check only
Cut the research budget for simulationsKeep the budget for real people
BeforeNow
Synthetic answers fill the test planReal users stay in every test
AI answers the research questions
Who said it
Jakob Nielsen on UXjakobnielsenphd.substack.com · 2 November 2026 · 2 posts
UX Roundup: Practice Interviewing With AI | AI Answer Complexity | Date-Picking | NASA-TLX | Why vs. What | Activity Theory | Filtering | Commanding HeightsSummary: AI can’t simulate human research participants yet, but it can help interviewers practice before meeting real users | AI answers can drain…
