How to avoid cultural blind spots in AI-powered customer research

Insights UnlockedMonday, August 3, 2026

Show Notes

Episode web page: https://bit.ly/4besnoH

Episode summary

AI can summarize customer feedback in seconds—but can it truly understand what customers mean? In this episode of Insights Unlocked, Jason Giles sits down with Chui Chui Tan, cultural strategist, founder of Beyō Global, and author of Research for Global Growth and International User Research, to explore why the biggest challenge in AI-powered customer research isn't analyzing data—it's interpreting it.

Drawing on nearly two decades of experience conducting research across more than 50 markets, Chui Chui explains why themes like "trust," "convenience," and "it's too expensive" can mean entirely different things depending on cultural context. She argues that while AI excels at identifying patterns, human researchers remain essential for uncovering the motivations behind those patterns and translating them into better business decisions.

The conversation explores how global teams can avoid costly misinterpretations, why translation alone isn't enough for international research, and how slowing down at the right moments can lead to more accurate insights—even in an AI-driven world.

You'll learn:

Why AI has shifted the research bottleneck from synthesis to interpretation

How cultural context changes the meaning behind common customer feedback

Why recurring themes aren't the same as actionable customer insights

How to uncover the real drivers behind comments like "it's too expensive" or "I don't trust it"

Why translation alone can't capture cultural meaning in global research

A practical framework for moving from AI-generated signals to better business decisions

How research teams can build simple checks into AI-assisted workflows to avoid costly mistakes

Resources & links:

Chui Chui Tan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuichuitan/

Beyō Global: https://beyo.global/

Research for Global Growth: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Research-Global-Growth-Strategies-Cross-Cultural/dp/1068601701