The Exchange

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153 - What Happens When AI Agents Start Spending Your Budget?

2026-10-2650:34

Who owns the customer relationship when AI does the buying? From big acquisitions to interview-based twins to agent-managed budgets, in episode 153 of The Exchange, Karen Lynch and Lenny Murphy dig into the questions research and marketing teams can’t put off. They also cover where synthetic research holds up, where it doesn’t, and why the answer comes down to the quality of the human data underneath.

152 - Title The AI Shopping Gap Nobody Is Talking About

2026-10-1951:39

Lots of people now ask AI what to buy. Almost none let it complete the purchase. In episode 152 of The Exchange, Karen Lynch and Lenny Murphy dig into why that gap exists, what retailers are doing to control it, and why the data behind personalized shopping is becoming the real prize. Along the way: big acquisitions, the rising value of human-rated data, live interviews vs. AI moderation, and a fraud ruling that raises tough questions about accountability.

151 - Your Next Customer Might Be a Bot

2026-10-1247:36

Would you trust a synthetic audience with your next ad test? Would you let an agent buy your holiday gifts? In episode 151 of The Exchange, Karen Lynch and Lenny Murphy get into the deals, the tools, and the uncomfortable questions reshaping research, and they make the case that good data still needs a smart human behind it.

150 - 75% Want More AI. Only 23% Trust It.

2026-10-0549:58

Salesforce is reportedly paying around $2 billion for Listen Labs, and that's just the start. This week's episode digs into what happens when AI research tools move into the software we already use every day, why shopping agents are rewriting the path to purchase, and what Pew's take on synthetic respondents means for the future of surveys.Plus, a stat that should make every marketer pause: 75% plan to spend more on AI, but only 23% of consumers trust its recommendations.

140 - AI Is Getting Cheaper. Judgment Is Getting Pricier

2026-09-2845:20

AI can move faster, work cheaper, and handle more than ever—but human judgment is still the differentiator. In this episode of The Exchange, Karen Lynch and Lenny Murphy unpack why “cognitive surrender” is the real AI risk, the growing gap between AI capabilities and adoption, and how insights is becoming embedded directly into business workflows. Plus, they cover the latest moves from NIQ, Suzy, Zappi, Qualtrics, and more.

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