Back
September 4, 2026
Red Bear Angels portfolio company Verasight has released a randomized study examining how AI-moderated interviews compare with traditional written survey open-ends. The research found that AI interviews generated substantially richer responses, with participants providing nearly five times more words and more detailed context.
The depth came with a significant participation tradeoff. Only 40.5% of respondents assigned to an AI interview completed it, compared with 99.4% for written questions, and the dropoff was not random. AI users and respondents more trusting of AI companies were more likely to complete the interview, creating a risk that results could overstate public optimism about AI.
Verasight’s findings suggest AI-moderated interviews can be valuable when researchers prioritize discovery and depth, while written surveys or mixed-mode approaches remain better suited to broad participation and representative estimates.
