What Happens When Anyone Can Do Research? The risks of AI, over-automation, and why expert insight is irreplaceable

Teams are shrinking, AI tools are multiplying, and suddenly, it feels like anyone can call themselves a researcher. But what gets lost when businesses over-automate the human side of insight? And how do real researchers stay valuable in a world that’s moving this fast?

In this episode of Deep Thoughts with Michelle Handy, I sit down with Adam Paton Stanley-Smith, CEO and co-founder of an AI research startup, to unpack the real risks and opportunities of this moment. Adam’s journey from the US Marine Corps to research tech gives him a unique vantage point on what companies get wrong—and how to get it right—when integrating AI into their insights practice.

Episode Highlights

• The Changing Role of the Researcher: How AI is empowering more teams to reach the voice of the customer, and what that means for traditional research roles
• Risks of Over-Automation: Stories of companies that cut research teams in favor of AI and suffered the consequences
• Research as Strategy, Not a Deck: Why actionable insights require context, critical thinking, and storytelling
• The Human Edge in an AI Era: How researchers can stay indispensable by moving from analyst to strategist
• Career Resilience in a Shifting Industry: Navigating layoffs, new tools, and the push toward cross-functional, flexible roles

About Adam Paton Stanley-Smith

Adam is the CEO and co-founder of Meaningful, a startup helping organizations quickly analyze and act on qualitative data. His unconventional career spans military service, geopolitical risk, and research tech entrepreneurship, giving him a rare perspective on how AI can support (but never fully replace) human insight.

Resources Mentioned

• https://www.meaningful.app/
• Connect with Adam on LinkedIn