How to prove research impact with AI: 4 key takeaways for UX research leaders

As a researcher, your goal is to elevate the voice of the customer. But how do you ensure your work leads to real business impact? How do you show stakeholders the true value of research?

Long-time research leader Rebecca Oliveira recently led a masterclass on treating research like a product and embracing democratization. She also explained how to leverage AI to elevate the uniquely human skills of a researcher.

Read on for the key takeaways and actionable strategies from our conversation. Or, watch the entire conversation for a deep dive into what it takes to thrive as a research leader today.

1. You Can’t Show Impact Until You Define It 

Many research teams struggle to prove their value. To understand your impact, you must first turn your research skills inward. You need to study the dynamics within your organization.

“Impact is contextual,” Rebecca explained. “To understand context, you need to understand your business, your industry, and your stakeholders. Research doesn't just serve users — we serve stakeholders.”

She doesn't make assumptions about what matters to leadership. Instead, she runs a formal research project with them, following a structured process.

“I understand who my stakeholders are. I classify them, right? So I have a screener I send to them. I have scripts to interview them. I understand what their experience with research is. And more than that, what its impact is, and what their biggest fears or main obligations are.”

This internal research provides the evidence needed to build a strategic roadmap. She tags, codes, and analyzes it for patterns. This roadmap guides the research function itself. It shifts the entire discipline from a reactive service to a proactive product within the company.

“This is not only important for me, but for my director, for my VP,” Rebecca said.“For me, we should treat the research discipline as a product!”

2. Scale Impact Through Smart Democratization

We’ve all heard the complaints about research democratization. But Rebecca sees it as an opportunity. 

Democratization is a culture shift designed to scale research’s influence. The key is focusing on the right goal.

“Don't confuse velocity with agility,” she warned. “Please don't mix these both!”

The purpose isn't just to do research faster. It’s to build an agile, user-centric organization. Everyone should feel empowered to make evidence-based decisions. This shift elevates the role of the expert researcher and frees them from running every single study. Instead, they can focus on more strategic work while peers in other departments can handle the quick, tactical tasks.

“It's not that they're taking our job,” Rebecca said. “They're just making us ask the harder questions. The things that we were trained to do. Maybe you're going to change to a vertical decision strategy.”

3. Master AI as a Tool, But Double Down on Human Skills

The rise of AI has created another wave of anxiety. For Rebecca, AI is simply the latest tool researchers must learn to master. She believes it makes core human skills even more valuable. She was adamant that AI, for all its power, has clear limitations:

“AI, for example... it can't do insights like us! To create an insight, you need context. You have the brain, you have the insight, you have the frontal cortex, please.”

She encourages researchers to lean into what makes them human. AI can accelerate tasks. But it cannot replicate the deep thinking required for high-stakes work. “Strategic thinking, this is us, guys, this is humans,” she said. 

So what skills truly matter in the age of AI? Rebecca highlights four key traits she looks for in every researcher.

• Curiosity: A deep desire to understand the “why” behind the data.
• Craft Depth: A true mastery of research methods and principles.
• Critical Thinking: The ability to question all outputs, especially from AI.
• Strategic Thinking: The skill to connect ideas and form a cohesive strategy.

She uses AI to become a better researcher, instead of fearing it. She gave a powerful example of coaching a mid-level researcher to use AI for discovery. The team member returned with five different frameworks discovered through AI, calling the result 'way better.’ For Rebecca, AI accelerates accuracy and knowledge. 

4. Build Structure and Guardrails

Organizations need a system to make democratization work. Rebecca emphasized creating a structured environment with clear processes and tools that guide people toward good habits.

This includes a centralized research repository and having a system for tracking all research activity. For Rebecca, structure isn't about control. It's about facilitation and quality control.

“I'm going to say something about Marvin that I love. I force people to code; they have to put tags. If they don't put a code within an observation... they can’t do insights. So we facilitate that.”

A system with clear guardrails minimizes the risk of bad research. It makes it easier for everyone to contribute to a high-quality, centralized knowledge base. This also provides invaluable data on the research function itself. You can track requests and tool usage. This helps you measure if your democratization efforts are working and see where more education is needed.

Start Building Your Impact

Rebecca’s approach is a powerful reminder. To maximize research impact, you must be strategic about your own function. You need to be as strategic as you are about the products we study. By adopting these lessons, you can transform your team into an indispensable partner:

• Define impact: Turn your research skills inward and understand your stakeholders’ needs.
• Embrace democratization: Build an agile, user-centric culture and elevate your own strategic work.
• Master AI as a co-pilot: Use it to expand your skills while doubling down on human-centric work.
• Build a structured system: Use tools and guardrails that empower your organization to do good research.

Ready to build a research practice that drives confident, evidence-based decisions? At Marvin, we provide the AI-powered repository and toolset you need. We help you centralize knowledge, democratize research safely, and measure your impact. 

Sign up for free or book a demo to get started.