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Self-driving labs: The new frontier for GenAI-driven marketing research

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  • Hermann, Erik

Abstract

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is not only becoming central to marketing research, but it can also enable the transition to fully autonomous marketing research. This article introduces a new approach to marketing research inspired by self-driving laboratories (SDLs), or autonomous research systems originally used in scientific fields (e.g., chemistry) to accelerate discovery via real-time, closed-loop experimentation. I lay out a framework for GenAI-driven marketing research that shows how GenAI can autonomously generate hypotheses, create and test marketing content and stimuli, and continuously improve results using real and synthetic consumer data. By integrating SDL principles like the design-make-test-analyze (DMTA) cycle, synthetic data use, multiobjective optimization, and parallel experimentation, this approach allows marketers to simulate, experiment, and adapt at scale. In addition, I highlight emerging real-world applications and conclude with recommendations for effectively and responsibly deploying GenAI-driven, SDL-inspired marketing research systems. As such, this work can inform and inspire marketers aiming to build more adaptive, data-driven, efficient, and scalable research systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Hermann, Erik, 2026. "Self-driving labs: The new frontier for GenAI-driven marketing research," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 69(3), pages 407-418.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:bushor:v:69:y:2026:i:3:p:407-418
    DOI: 10.1016/j.bushor.2025.06.001
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