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AI is changing survey research, bringing benefits alongside real risks. In this first episode of The Signal, Prolific's Andrew Gordon sits down with Dr. David Rothschild, co-chair of AAPOR's Task Force on Responsible AI Integration in Survey Research, to unpack what's actually changing in survey research as AI reshapes the field - and what isn't.

David walks through the different roles AI can play across the research process, and where he believes the greatest risks actually lie. The conversation covers whether synthetic respondents can ever truly substitute for real humans, Prolific and David's joint research measuring AI pollution across major online sample providers, and practical guidance for any researcher being pitched a synthetic sample product tomorrow. They also get into disclosure standards, the limits of self-declaration checkboxes, and where David comes down between the optimism versus pessimism about AI's role in research.

Topics covered:

• What AAPOR's new report gets right about AI in research methodology

• AI agent prevalence: measuring contamination across major online sample providers

• Synthetic data's real limits: why it gets broad signals right but falls apart under scrutiny

• AAPOR's disclosure framework: what's required vs. what's 'enhanced' 

• Where AI genuinely helps vs. where it undermines data quality

• Why vendor opacity is the practical risk researchers should actually be watching

  
  

About the speakers:

Dr. Andrew Gordon is Head of Research Sciences at Prolific, driving improvements in data quality, online research methodology, and AI evaluation.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-gordon-03879919a/

X: @andrew_j_gordonBluesky: @andrewgordon.bsky.social

Dr. David Rothschild is an Economist at Microsoft Research and Co-chair of AAPOR's Task Force on Responsible AI Integration in Survey Research.

Website: https://researchdmr.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davmicrot/

Bluesky: @davmicrot.bsky.social

References:

Responsible AI Integration in Survey Research, AAPOR

https://aapor.org/announcements/task-force-on-responsible-ai-integration-in-survey-research-report/ 

AI Agent Prevalence and Data Quality Across Multiple Online Sample Providers

https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/pvdjr

The Signal is Prolific's podcast on research evidence - not tools, not trends. Real findings from the field, peer-level conversation, no vendor pitch. Subscribe for new episodes monthly.