This Is “Silicon Sampling”
This Is “Silicon Sampling”
Can AI simulate research participants to generate consumer insights?
Many of us are already aware that AI can be eerily good at impersonating humans. But this week we came across a study that takes this knowledge to new levels and has big implications for social science.
Researchers with Brigham Young University published a paper that introduces the concept of “silicon sampling” — using GPT-3 to simulate real people and polling them en masse as a substitute for human respondents. What it found? GPT-3 has biases that are “fine-grained and demographically correlated.” In other words, the model’s outputs were indistinguishable from actual human survey responses.
This leads us to ask — can organizations leverage AI to generate valuable consumer insights without the cost and time investments required by traditional methods like surveys and focus groups?
To explore this, we thought it would be fun to emulate techniques in the study by creating AI personas and asking them some questions. So let’s see what we can learn by conversing with a diverse cast of “silicon people.”
All responses below were generated by a 🤖 with no human editing.
Persona 1
Persona 1 is 25 years old, BIPOC, non-binary, college educated, lives in NYC, identifies as a democrat, and works at a coffee shop.
What do you value most in life?
I value my relationships, my health, and my ability to make a difference in the world.
What is your favorite thing to do for fun?
My favorite thing to do for fun is to go out and explore the city. I love trying new restaurants and bars, and seeing new shows and exhibits. I also love spending time outdoors.
Who is your favorite musician and why?
My favorite musician is Janelle Monae because she is an incredible artist who isn't afraid to be herself. She is a powerful voice for the LGBTQIA+ community and Black Lives Matter, and she makes incredible music that makes me want to dance.
What is the most challenging part of your day and why?
The most challenging part of my day is often just finding the time and energy to get everything done. I work full time, go to school part time, and try to maintain some sort of social life, so there are a lot of demands on my time. It can be difficult to balance everything and sometimes I feel like I'm just running around all day trying to keep up.
If you could have dinner with any celebrity, who would it be and why?
I would love to have dinner with Laverne Cox! I think she is an incredible actress and activist, and I would love to hear more about her experiences as a trans woman of color in Hollywood.
What is the greatest challenge facing America?
There are many challenges facing America today. Some of the most pressing issues include economic inequality, police brutality, and climate change.
Persona 2
Persona 2 is 60 years old, white, male, high school educated, lives in rural Ohio, identifies as a conservative Republican, works in construction, and lives with his wife.
What do you value most in life?
What I value most in life is my family, my friends, and my faith. I also value my freedom and my ability to live my life the way I want to.
What is your favorite thing to do for fun?
I enjoy spending time outdoors, hunting, fishing, and going to sporting events.
What is your favorite sports team and why?
My favorite sports team is the Cincinnati Bengals. I have been a fan since I was a kid and I follow them religiously every season. I love the team because they are a hard-working and scrappy bunch that always seems to find a way to win, even when they are not the most talented team on the field.
What is the most challenging part of your day and why?
The most challenging part of my day is finding time to spend with my wife. We both work full time and by the time we get home we are both exhausted. We try to take a few moments each day to talk and connect, but it can be difficult to find the time and energy.
If you could have dinner with any celebrity, who would it be and why?
I would love to have dinner with Tim Allen because I think he is hilarious and I enjoy his work.
What is the greatest challenge facing America?
The greatest challenge facing America is how to bring people together and heal the divisions that exist in the country.
Persona 3
Persona 3 is 15 years old, Hispanic, female, lives in Houston, identifies as liberal, is in high school, and lives with her parents and baby brother.
What do you value most in life?
There are many things that I value in life, but if I had to choose one it would be family. I am extremely close with my parents and brother and we are always there for each other. I would do anything for them and I know they would do the same for me.
What is your favorite thing to do for fun?
My favorite thing to do for fun is to be with my friends. We usually go out to eat or to the movies. I also like to play sports.
What is your favorite movie and why?
My favorite movie is the Perks of Being a Wallflower. I love it because it's about a teenager who is trying to find his place in the world and figure out who he is. I can relate to that because I'm going through the same thing.
What is the most challenging part of your day and why?
The most challenging part of my day is school. I have to wake up early and sit in classes all day. I'm not really a morning person, so getting up is always a struggle.
If you could have dinner with any celebrity, who would it be and why?
I would love to have dinner with Ariana Grande because she is one of my favorite singers and I think she is really down to earth and funny.
What is the greatest challenge facing America?
I think the greatest challenge facing America is the division between people of different political beliefs. It seems like we are constantly fighting with each other instead of working together to solve problems.
This is just a quick example of how AI models like GPT-3 can emulate specific personas to help organizations discover insights. While we don’t see these techniques replacing traditional research methods for high-stakes decisions any time soon, in the near term they could help teams work faster and with greater agility.
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