Comparison
AI and human researchers: who does what
A side-by-side view of how research work splits between AI and human researchers in 2026. AI takes the execution steps: moderating interviews, transcribing, coding and first-pass synthesis. Researchers keep the judgment work: framing the question, reading subtext, prioritising findings and turning them into decisions. Use it to agree roles on a team adopting AI research tools such as Koji, which runs the execution side.
Where this appears
What's in this comparison
What AI handles
- Moderating interviews
- Transcription
- Coding the data
- Initial synthesis
What researchers own
- Framing the research question and the decision it informs
- Reading between the lines: contradiction, subtext, what goes unsaid
- Deciding which findings matter most right now
- Turning research into decisions stakeholders act on
Use this image
Free to use in your docs, decks and posts under CC BY 4.0, as long as you credit Koji with a link to this page. To embed it, paste this into your page:
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<a href="https://www.koji.so/visuals/ai-vs-human-researcher-division-of-labour"><img src="https://www.koji.so/visuals/ai-vs-human-researcher-division-of-labour/ai-vs-human-researcher-division-of-labour.png" alt="Comparison of the research work AI handles, moderation, transcription, coding and first synthesis, against the judgment work researchers keep." width="1200" height="669" /></a>
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.koji.so/visuals/ai-vs-human-researcher-division-of-labour">AI and human researchers: who does what</a>, Koji</p>
