AI-driven synthetic user interviews can uncover deep emotional insights that real users might not share with a stranger. However, they fail to capture unique, real-life situational problems (e.g. a parent escaping a toddler), making a hybrid research approach essential for a complete picture.

The ethical concern with AI avatars isn't their inauthenticity, as human actors also follow scripts. The problem arises when AI creates fake testimonials or backstories (e.g., "my friend told me about this lipstick"), which is a form of consumer manipulation rather than simple product endorsement.

Attempts to use AI for "synthetic customer calls" failed because the models are overly agreeable, expressing a 10/10 purchase intent for any idea. This "sycophancy mode" makes them useless for genuine validation, proving there is no substitute for talking to real, nuanced humans.

Synthetic users, like a stranger at a bar, can provide unfiltered, emotionally rich feedback during simulated interviews. This happens because there's no social barrier or fear of judgment, leading to the discovery of edge cases and deeper motivations that real users might not share with a human interviewer.

Figma's Loredana Crisan points to research indicating that people disengage when they perceive content as inauthentic and created solely by AI. This highlights the enduring value of a human point of view, positioning AI as a tool to enhance human expression rather than replace it entirely.

AI can process vast information but cannot replicate human common sense, which is the sum of lived experiences. This gap makes it unreliable for tasks requiring nuanced judgment, authenticity, and emotional understanding, posing a significant risk to brand trust when used without oversight.

Social media thrives on the psychological reward of posting for human validation. As AI bots become indistinguishable from real users, this feedback loop breaks, undermining the fundamental incentive to post and threatening the entire social media model which is predicated on authentic human receipt.

Real relationships are built on navigating friction, messiness, and other people. Synthetic AI companions that are seamless and constantly agreeable create an unrealistic expectation, making the normal challenges of human interaction feel overwhelmingly problematic and undesirable by comparison.

AI can generate designs but fundamentally lacks human empathy. This creates risks of bias and generic solutions. "Designing consciously" requires keeping humans in the loop to validate insights, double-check sources, and ensure the final product truly serves user needs.