Accelerating Research with Synthetic Users

​Join the UX Researchers’ Guild for a futuristic virtual session with John Whalen, PhD—author, host of the AI4UX Podcast, and creator of the “AI for Customer Research” course in Maven.

​In this talk, you’ll explore the fast-emerging world of synthetic users—realistic, AI-powered personas you can create, interview, and learn from instantly.  While they don't replace human-based research, they are a new essential augmentation to your research practice.  Whether you're exploring ideas, testing early concepts, or building alignment across teams, synthetic users offer a scalable, low-risk way to accelerate your work. You'll leave this session with practical techniques you can apply immediately—even while you're watching.

​What You’ll Learn:

• ​Generate AI-Powered Synthetic Users – Learn how to create lifelike AI personas tailored to your target audience and how to “interview” them to surface valuable early insights

• ​Validate Concepts – Use synthetic users to test ideas quickly and cheaply before investing in real-world research. Learn how to anticipate customer reactions with surprising accuracy.

• ​Leverage Synthetic Experts for Instant Feedback – Go beyond personas: create AI-powered experts to help you ideate and refine strategies in areas like marketing, branding, and innovation.

• ​Follow Along with Hands-On Prompts – You’ll get usable LLM prompts during the session so you can try synthetic users yourself—no prior experience required.

​Why This Topic Matters:

​Synthetic users are a new, but still controversial tool in AI-driven research. If you're not exploring this space, you're missing a critical advantage in today’s evolving research landscape.