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Download the 20 questions to help buyers of AI-based services (available in several languages)
If you own or sell AI-based services, do not forget to send the link to your answers to professional.standards@esomar.org so we can publish them here.
What is the checklist?
This guidance material focuses on the use of AI whilst undertaking research activities as opposed to other business processes or third-party AI programs.
The checklist addresses the Use of AI in research activities: Encompassing commercial research offerings, bespoke services, research product development, participant interaction methods, research operations, post-analysis, and proprietary syndicated datasets.
The Questions include five sections:
Company profile to help gain an understanding of the credentials of the supplier organisation.
Questions about the AI capability/service explainable and fit for purpose to help buyers evaluate AI services from a practical standpoint and determine if the capability aligns with their business purpose.
A section on whether the AI service is trustworthy, ethical and transparent to clarify whether the buyer and supplier are aligned on ethical principles as well as issues such as potential biases, data security and resilience.
Questions about how has the company provided human oversight of the AI system to help buyers understand how human involvement has been incorporated into the development and operation of the AI service.
A section on the data governance protocols to help buyers understand whether the supplier is appropriately aware of the legal frameworks that govern AI based activities.
We invite you to explore the Checklist and leverage it in your journey towards responsible, ethical, and transparent AI usage in research.
Companies are invited to post their own answers to the questions to provide and promote transparency about their services. For more information contact professional.standards@esomar.org
The companies that have answered the 20 Questions
Please let us know if you wish to take up this opportunity to showcase your company's commitment to transparency and answers to the Questions. All you need to do is to update the answers to ESOMAR 20 Questions and send us the link to your answers to the questions.
Important note
This list of companies that have answered the 20 Questions and a link to the answers they have published enables buyers to read and compare the answers of different companies. It does not imply any certification or vetting by ESOMAR, as each company is responsible for updating its answers and putting in place processes to ensure compliance.
Working Team
Barry Jennings
ESOMAR Corporate Member, Director, Cloud + Com Business Planning Insights at Microsoft, USAJudith Passingham
ESOMAR Committee Member, Chair of the Professional Standards Committee at ESOMARJudith Passingham has worked in the Market Research industry for over 35 years, in many different roles from General Management, Client Account Leadership, Service Development, to Sales and Operations – on a Global and European basis.
She started her career at the British Market Research Bureau working on the TGI and various media measurements, then working at AGB, subsequently TNS where she ran the UK and then global panel division as CEO of ‘Worldpanel ‘ and as Joint CEO of Europanel – a joint venture between TNS and GFK.
Judith was appointed CEO of TNS Europe and then following the WPP acquisition of TNS oversaw the integration of RI and TNS in Northern and Eastern Europe. In 2014 Judith joined Ipsos to run its Access Panel services where she drove service integration into one global entity, launched device agnostic interviewing and programmatic sampling.
In 2016 she took on responsibility for Ipsos’s Operational capability. She retired in 2019 and volunteers for Pilotlight and for the Maple Lodge Nature Reserve. In January 2020 she was appointed as Chair of the Professional Standards Committee for ESOMAR.
Kathy Joe
ESOMAR Staff, Consultant to ESOMAR PSC at ESOMARKathy Joe served for many years as Director of International Standards and Public Affairs at ESOMAR before retiring in 2016. She currently still works periodically for ESOMAR as its Editorial Consultant for Research World.
Prior to working for ESOMAR, Kathy worked at The Economist and Euromoney and gained a BSc Hons in Politics and Sociology from the University of Southampton in the UK.
With a passion for research and insights and long experience in working with global teams to formulate editorial content, privacy policies and professional standards, she has worked with research professionals from around the world on far-ranging topics including innovation and best practice in consumer insights, knowledge and strategy.
As ESOMAR Director of International Standards, Kathy led the development and promotion of global research codes and privacy guidelines.
She volunteers for projects with NGOs such as Amnesty International and is a Board Member and Secretary of Dance Connects.