Taeho Kim
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The Concept

Synthetic users are AI-generated profiles that simulate user groups' thoughts, needs, and experiences through chat interfaces.

Key Finding: Overly Positive

"AI users were significantly more positive than real humans." Synthetic users always gave clean, idealized, unrealistic answers. Asked if they completed all planned online courses, they said yes every time. Real humans admitted they often didn't finish due to being busy or losing interest.

What Synthetic Users Can Do

  • Excellent for desk research — learning what's already known about user groups
  • Helpful preparation for studying unfamiliar domains

What They Cannot Do

  • Provide accurate, novel information about your specific users
  • Capture human complexity, contextual behavior, and the "why" behind decisions

"If you want accurate, new information that gives you competitive advantage, that can only come from real humans."

Future: Research-Based Synthetic Users

Companies are developing synthetic users based on your actual research data — conversational research-based personas. Worth watching.

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