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24 September 2026 | Data & Insights Network, Amsterdam
AI is rapidly becoming part of everyday research and insights. AI Agents can perform research tasks, synthetic communities are being used to explore and predict human responses, and GenAI is changing the way organisations develop and test new ideas.
But as the possibilities grow, so do the questions.
When can we trust AI? What does it genuinely add to research? What happens to quality when processes become faster and increasingly automated? And what role remains for researchers and insights professionals?
At the AI Summit 2026, Data & Insights Network and Bilendi look beyond the promise and hype of AI and focus on its practical reality.
Together with researchers, insights professionals, client-side organisations, agencies, innovators and AI experts, we will explore what already works today, where the limitations are, and where human expertise, validation and critical thinking remain essential.
Expect an afternoon of plenary presentations, practical Expert Sessions, live applications and open discussion about the impact AI is already having on the research and insights profession.
From AI Agents to Synthetic Communities
Throughout the afternoon, we will approach AI from different perspectives across the research process.
How can AI Agents independently perform research tasks? Can synthetic communities complement or even replace parts of traditional research? How is GenAI changing the innovation process? And how do we make sure that greater speed and scale do not come at the expense of reliability, transparency and research quality?
The AI Summit brings these questions together in one afternoon, combining vision with real-world applications, validation, methodology and quality.
Programme
13:00 – 13:30 | Registration & Welcome
Arrival and welcome at Data & Insights Network in Amsterdam.
13:30 – 14:00 | Opening
Harm Hartman – Ipsos
Data Professional of the Year 2026
Harm Hartman opens the AI Summit from his perspective as Data Professional of the Year 2026, reflecting on the development of the research and insights profession and the impact AI is having on our work.
What does the rapid rise of AI mean for the profession, for organisations and, most importantly, for the people working in research and insights?
Final session title and description to follow.
14:00 – 14:30 | Keynote- Bilendi
As partner of the AI Summit, Bilendi will provide a broader perspective on the developments surrounding AI in research and insights, setting the stage for the practical Expert Sessions that follow.
Speaker, title and further details will be announced soon.
14:30 – 14:45 | Break
Expert Sessions – Round 1
14:45 – 15:15
AI&Wij – Maaike
Agents in Research: What They Can Already Do Today – and What You Shouldn’t Let Them Do
Everyone is talking about AI Agents, but what exactly are they? And more importantly, what can they already mean for researchers and insights professionals today?
In this interactive session, you will see how an AI Agent can actually be used within the research process. Maaike will demonstrate a live agent that conducts a questionnaire, stores the answers, analyses the results and visualises the findings.
But then comes the question that really matters to researchers: is what the agent produces actually reliable and useful?
Discover where AI Agents can save significant time, but also where they can influence your data, where risks arise and when human oversight remains essential.
For whom? Researchers and insights professionals who already use AI, or want to explore its practical applications. No programming experience is required.
KCC – Finn Raben
Quality and Trust in AI-Supported Research
AI can make research faster and more scalable, but it also introduces new questions around quality and reliability.
How do we know whether AI-supported research meets appropriate quality standards? What changes when AI becomes part of existing research processes and quality controls? And what should agencies and clients expect from each other?
KCC explores these questions through the lens of quality, transparency, governance and the new ISO 20252 standard.
Rather than diving deep into the technical details of certification, the session focuses on the practical question: how do we safeguard the quality and credibility of research as AI plays an increasingly important role?
Final session title and description to follow.
15:15 – 15:30 | Break & Room Change
Expert Sessions – Round 2
15:30 – 16:00
Het Volksportret – Jens Hellewaard
Synthetic Communities & Validation
Can synthetic communities really tell us something meaningful about how real people think, feel and respond?
Het Volksportret explores the practical application of synthetic communities within research. Rather than focusing only on what is technologically possible, the session will look at one of the most important questions surrounding synthetic research: how do we validate the results?
Recent validation research and real-world applications will form the basis of the session, comparing AI-generated insights with more traditional approaches to research.
Final session title and description to follow.
DVJ Insights
Better, Quicker and Cheaper – Innovating without Compromise in the Age of GenAI
GenAI makes it possible to develop and explore large numbers of ideas and propositions at unprecedented speed. But more ideas do not automatically lead to better innovation.
Drawing on validation research, DVJ Insights will show how GenAI can be used differently within the innovation process: not simply to generate ideas faster, but to explore a much wider range of potential directions and identify those with the greatest chance of success.
The session explores what actually works, the methodological choices that matter and how GenAI can enable Consumer & Market Insights professionals to play an even stronger role in the innovation process.
16:00 – 16:15 | Plenary Wrap-Up
We bring the different perspectives from the afternoon back together.
What have we learned about the opportunities and limitations of AI in research? What can we already use today? Where should we remain critical? And what does all of this mean for the future role of research and insights professionals?
From 16:15 | Networking Drinks
We conclude the AI Summit with networking drinks and plenty of opportunity to continue the conversation with speakers and fellow professionals.
Who Should Attend?
The AI Summit is designed for professionals working in or closely connected to:
Research & Market Research · Consumer & Customer Insights · Data & Analytics · CX & UX Research · Innovation · Marketing Intelligence · AI & Technology
This is not a general introduction to Artificial Intelligence. The programme is aimed at professionals who already follow developments in AI, are experimenting with its possibilities or want to better understand how AI can be applied responsibly and effectively within research and insights.
Professionals from client-side organisations, research agencies, data and technology companies and academia are all welcome.
Are you working in research, data, insights or AI and looking for practical inspiration on the future of our profession? Then the AI Summit is for you.
Free for Data & Insights Network members. Non-members can attend for €50.
Do you have an inspiring case study or would you like to contribute to the programme? Please contact Gino Kirsten at gino@dinetwork.nl.