From AI becoming business as usual to the growing importance of data quality and human judgement, IIEX Europe 2026 showed that the conversation has moved beyond technology, and firmly onto better decision-making.
Our team recently attended IIEX Europe 2026 in Amsterdam, where thousands of researchers, brands, agencies and technology providers came together to explore what’s next for the insights industry.
Representing Curion were Hannah Over and Tom Ullathorne, who spent two days attending keynote sessions, joining discussions and speaking with industry leaders about the trends shaping the future of market research.
Their overwhelming impression? The event was busier than ever, AI featured in almost every conversation, and yet the most valuable discussions weren’t about the technology itself, they were about how to use it responsibly, intelligently and to make better business decisions.
Drawing on Hannah and Tom’s reflections, here are the five biggest takeaways from IIEX Europe 2026 and what they mean for researchers, brands and insight teams.
1. AI has become the baseline, but trust is now the differentiator
The biggest shift wasn’t the emergence of new AI tools, it was the realization that AI has become standard.
Clients now assume research platforms will include AI-powered capabilities. Simply offering AI is no longer enough to stand out.
Instead, conversations centered around questions like: Can we trust the outputs? How is the data being used? Where is the human oversight? How transparent is the process?
The organizations creating real value are applying AI thoughtfully, with strong governance, clear methodology and confidence in the results.
The takeaway: AI is expected. Trust is what differentiates.
2. We're no longer talking about "qual vs quant"
One of the most refreshing shifts was hearing less about the traditional divide between qualitative and quantitative research.
Instead of debating whether research is qualitative or quantitative, the focus is shifting towards using the right combination of data to answer business questions with confidence.
AI is accelerating the ability to combine different data sources, allowing researchers to move seamlessly from exploration to validation. Rather than asking whether research is “qual” or “quant”, clients are asking: How quickly can we get confident answers?
This represents a fundamental shift in how research projects are designed and delivered.
3. Better data beats better AI
Perhaps the most important strategic conversation wasn’t actually about AI at all.
It was about data.
Speakers consistently highlighted that the quality, structure and accessibility of data will determine the success of AI far more than choosing the latest language model.
Key themes included:
- Investing in reliable data infrastructure
- Creating connected datasets
- Building semantic layers that give AI the right context
- Maintaining transparency around data quality
Without strong foundations, even the most sophisticated AI produces unreliable insights.
4. Human + AI is becoming the winning model
Rather than replacing researchers, AI is reshaping their role.
Routine analysis, summarization, and repetitive tasks are increasingly automated, allowing researchers to spend more time where they create the greatest value: interpreting findings, challenging assumptions, connecting insights to business decisions, telling compelling stories, and advising clients strategically.
The strongest message throughout the conference was that AI and human expertise work best together.
AI delivers speed, scale and pattern recognition.
Humans provide judgement, empathy, context and accountability.
This was particularly evident in discussions around synthetic personas. While many organizations see huge potential for rapid concept testing and early-stage innovation, there remains healthy debate around data quality, representativeness and appropriate use cases.
Synthetic personas are a valuable addition to the research toolkit at the right time, but not as a total replacement for real human insight.
5. Physical product research remains a major opportunity
While AI is transforming concept testing, communications and early-stage innovation, one area remains relatively untouched: physical product testing.
Evaluating products often depends on sensory experiences that AI simply cannot replicate, including touch, weight, taste, texture, smell, and real-world usability.
As AI continues to reshape many areas of research, physical product testing remains an area where genuine human experience continues to be essential.
Rather than being disrupted, this part of the industry may become even more valuable.
AI trends in market research: Looking ahead
IIEX Europe 2026 highlighted an industry moving into a new phase of AI maturity.
The conversation is not around adopting AI for the sake of it. Instead, brands are building trustworthy systems, improving data quality, accelerating better decisions and ensuring human expertise remains at the center of research.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway of all is around human-powered AI and combining technology with critical thinking, experience and sound judgement to deliver faster, smarter and more confident decisions.