AI is replacing humans in responding to some surveys – but simulated opinions are not the same as public opinion

AI models can simulate the answers thousands of people would provide to a survey, but the results aren’t a reliable measure of what real people would actually say.

By: Ambuj Tewari, University of Michigan, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: May 27, 2026

Words: 866

Last Updated: 1 month, 4 weeks ago

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By Ambuj Tewari, University of Michigan

Surveys and polls help societies understand what people think about issues in politics, health, education and much more. But fewer people these days tend to respond, so pollsters have to reach out more widely, which raises cost considerably. One survey provider prices a 10 minute survey of 1,000 people in the tens of thousands of dollars.

Could AI models stand in for hundreds or thousands of people, emulating …

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