AI With and Within User Research Across the Product Lifecycle

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming user research workflows, yet its integration often lacks grounding in human factors principles. While generative and agentic AI can accelerate synthesis, pattern detection, and analysis, overreliance on automated outputs risks automation bias, misplaced trust, and erosion of research judgment. This paper presents a human factors framework for integrating AI with and within user research across the product lifecycle. AI is positioned as an augmentation tool that reduces analytical friction and supports sensemaking, while researchers remain accountable for interpretation and decision-making. The framework maps AI-assisted opportunities across discovery, solution development, delivery, and post-launch support. Explicit boundaries for AI use are defined to prevent misuse. By grounding AI in human judgment, this work offers practitioners practical guidance for designing research workflows that preserve rigor, accountability, and human-centered decision-making in increasingly intelligent sociotechnical systems.

Keywords: Human-centered AI, Human–AI Collaboration, Product Design, Generative Artificial Intelligence, Agentic AI, User Research Methods

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1007314