UX Research + AI in 2026

The Research Function Is Being Rewritten Stock image from Unsplash modifed using Photoshop Beta AI. For most of my career, UX research ran on a simple loop: form a question, go find humans, watch them struggle, write it down, argue for change. The loop was slow, and its slowness was partly the point. Sitting with a contradiction long enough to understand it, rather than resolving it prematurely, is how good research avoids becoming a rationalization for decisions already made. In 2026, that loop has been br