A Role for Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Qualitative Research? An Exploratory Analysis Examining New York City Residents’ Perceptions on Climate Change

As artificial intelligence (AI) advances, there is growing interest in leveraging this technology to enhance climate change research and responses. While AI has been applied in quantitative climate research, its role in qualitative research remains underdeveloped. Yet, qualitative inquiry is essential for understanding how individuals perceive and experience the effects of climate change. This study aimed to both (1) gain a deeper understanding of New York City residents’ perceptions and lived experiences of climate change and (2) evaluate the suitability of AI for analyzing qualitative data. Using StreetTalk, a qualitative method involving street-intercept video interviews and social media dissemination, research teams analyzed interview transcripts through four approaches: human-only, human-then-AI, AI-then-human, and AI-only. Co-authors were then provided with anonymized (blinded) versions of the final theme sets that they did not contribute to and evaluated them using a standardized rubric developed for this study. The AI-then-human approach produced the most comprehensive and contextually accurate results, yielding nine key themes: (1) personal responsibility and action, (2) community unity and support, (3) government and corporate responsibility, (4) concern for future generations, (5) climate change impact, (6) climate-related conspiracy theories, (7) low literacy around local climate change, (8) helplessness, and (9) competing interests around climate change. These findings provide valuable local perspectives to guide evidence-based strategies for climate mitigation and community engagement. This research also represents an initial step toward establishing best practices for integrating AI into qualitative data analysis.