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How should insight teams use AI without rushing into hype or falling behind?

In this episode, Jonathan speaks with Eddie O'Brien from Sage about how to balance experimentation with governance, where synthetic data can add value, and why the future of insight is a hybrid model that blends AI with human expertise.

Key Highlights

• Why the best insight leaders sit in the grey area between moving too fast with AI and moving too slowly to stay relevant.
• How Sage is using AI to improve knowledge management, data synthesis, transcript analysis, and faster decision support.
• Why human insight still matters, especially when validating outputs from synthetic data, AI personas, and digital twins.
• How AI is reshaping the insight operating model, with client teams and agency partners working more like integrated squads.
• Which future skills will matter most, including insight engineering, facilitation, scenario planning, and stakeholder influence.

Timestamps

• 0:00 - Introduction: why AI is forcing the insight industry into a critical moment
• 1:50 - Eddie introduces his role at Sage and shares his perspective on AI in insight
• 3:15 - Sage's guiding principles for AI as a tool to elevate human insight
• 5:12 - Practical AI use cases: knowledge management, transcript synthesis, and faster insight generation
• 10:21 - Why AI engineering, governance, and model understanding matter more than ever
• 14:44 - The biggest surprise: blending AI methods with traditional research for faster, stronger answers
• 18:41 - How stakeholder expectations and the role of insight teams are changing
• 21:12 - The old agency-client workflow is dead: moving toward squads, sprints, and new operating models
• 32:37 - Synthetic data, AI personas, and digital twins: where they help and where guardrails are still needed
• 42:25 - Quick-fire round: the future of insight teams, agency partnerships, common mistakes, and one word for the industry