Project Agent is a generative AI assistant built into the Discuss platform that supports faster project setup with less manual effort. It brings together tools for creating AI-led interviews and managing participant recruitment, all within the project workflow.
Project Agent is designed to streamline setup, reduce coordination overhead, and create more time for reviewing and analyzing research outcomes.
Currently, Project Agent includes two main capabilities:
- Generate your activity with AI: Create an Interview Agent activity using one of two AI-powered options:
Panel Recruitment: which enables self-serve recruitment for asynchronous activities using Discuss’s panel network.
Additional capabilities are planned as Project Agent continues to expand.
Create a New Asynchronous Activity
You can create two types of asynchronous activities:
- AI Interview: An AI-led interview that includes AI-powered interview tasks.
- Self-Paced Activity: A traditional self-paced activity that does not include AI-led interview tasks.
When creating a new activity, the available setup options depend on the activity type you choose.
AI Interview
When creating a new AI Interview, you can choose one of the following options:
- AI-Guided Setup: Build your interview by chatting with the AI, which guides you through your research goal, target audience, and activity structure before generating the interview.
- Quick Composer (AI): Paste your research questions into a single field, and the AI generates the interview and follow-up instructions.
- Import from Another Project: Copy an existing AI Interview from another project.
- Create from Scratch: Build the interview manually using the Activity Builder.
Self-Paced Activity
When creating a new Self-Paced Activity, you can choose one of the following options:
- Import from Another Project: Copy an existing self-paced activity from another project.
- Create from Scratch: Build the activity manually from an empty template.
For a detailed guide on creating and configuring Self-Paced Activities that do not include AI-led interview questions, see Self-Paced Activities: A Guide for Researchers
AI Interview Setup: AI-Guided Setup
AI-Guided Setup is a chat-based experience within Project Agent that helps researchers move from an initial research idea or brief to a complete AI-led interview.
Instead of starting with an empty question list, the setup guides you through the research design process, recommends suitable AI-led task types, and generates a complete activity based on the information you provide.
The setup chat and the Activity Builder appear side by side, allowing you to review information as it is added.
Step 1: Start the AI-Guided Setup
When you open AI-Guided Setup, the following three sections are empty:
- Research Goal
- Target Audience
- Activity Structure
Use the chat located in the bottom-left corner of the page to provide information about your study.
The builder will review your answers and ask follow-up questions when it needs more information.
Step 2: Define Your Research Goal
Start by describing what you want to learn from the study.
You can provide an initial research idea, a short brief, or detailed information about the intended purpose of the research.
The builder may ask questions to clarify details such as:
- The main topic of the study
- The business decision the research should support
- The intended use of the findings
- Whether the study focuses on a specific brand, product, or broader market
Once enough information has been collected, the builder generates a suggested Research Goal.
Review the suggested content and click Add to Canvas to add it to the Research Goal section.
You can edit the content directly in the canvas if any changes are needed.
Step 3: Define Your Target Audience
Next, describe who you want to hear from.
The builder may ask for information such as:
- Age range
- Location
- Relevant behaviors or product usage
- Purchasing habits
- Experience with specific products or services
- People who should be excluded from the study
The Target Audience information provides context for the AI interviewer. It does not recruit respondents or apply recruitment criteria automatically.
The builder will continue asking questions until it has enough information to generate a suggested Target Audience definition.
Review the suggestion and click Add to Canvas.
You can make changes directly in the canvas if needed.
Step 4: Define Your Activity Structure
Next, describe how you want the interview to flow and what you want respondents to do.
You can include information such as:
- The preferred interview length
- Stimuli respondents should review
- Screen recording activities
- Product or home tours
- Word association exercises
- Personification exercises
- Privacy-sensitive topics
- The order and overall flow of the activity
- The type of respondent experience you want to create
The builder may ask additional questions until it has enough information to generate the Activity Structure.
As you describe the study, Project Agent recommends the AI-led task types that best fit your research.
For example:
- If respondents need to review a website or Figma prototype, the builder may recommend a Screen Recording task with relevant follow-up questions.
- If the study covers privacy-sensitive topics, the builder may recommend Audio Only tasks.
Review the suggested Activity Structure and click Add to Canvas.
You can edit the content directly in the canvas before generating the activity.
Step 5: Generate the Activity
Once the Research Goal, Target Audience, and Activity Structure have been added to the canvas, the Generate Activity button becomes available at the bottom center of the page.
Click Generate Activity to create the AI-led interview.
The system will:
- Generate questions aligned with the Research Goal
- Add custom probing instructions for the AI interviewer
- Select appropriate AI-led task types
- Organize the questions into a logical sequence
- Insert the complete question set into the Activity Builder
Step 6: Review and Edit the Activity
Review the generated questions and confirm that the activity matches your research needs.
You can edit the generated content directly in the Activity Builder, including:
- Question wording
- Task types
- Follow-up instructions
- Question order
- Upload stimuli
- Any other activity details
You can also add STIM to supported tasks where needed.
Step 7: Save the Activity
After reviewing and editing the activity, click Save.
Saving the activity allows you to continue to the activity settings and configure the respondent experience.
Step 8: Configure the Activity Settings
Open the activity options to configure any additional settings.
Depending on the options available for your activity, you may be able to adjust settings such as:
- The AI moderator voice
- Video or audio-only capture
- Question order
- Consent form requirements
- Redirect URL or Exit Message
- Other respondent experience settings
Review all settings before launching the activity. Here is a detailed guide on setting up the activity settings.
Step 9: Launch the Activity
Once the questions and settings are complete, launch the activity and click on recruit from panel.
AI Interview Setup: Quick Composer (AI)
AI guidance is optional. For projects that already have a draft discussion guide, Quick Composer provides a non-chat setup path.
Quick Composer allows you to:
Paste a list of questions into a simple form
Automatically generate question labels and probing instructions
Import the questions directly into the Activity Builder
Editing, Regeneration, and Start Over:
Research goals, audiences, structures, and questions can always be edited manually in the Activity Builder.
If no responses exist, the setup can be adjusted and the full question set regenerated.
A Start Over option clears the setup chat and resets the activity. This option is disabled once responses exist.
Limitations:
Text-only chat
8,000 character limit per message
Once a section is added to the Activity Builder, it cannot be edited through chat
Regeneration and Start Over are disabled after responses begin
AI Interview Setup: Import from Another Project
Select Import from Another Project to copy an existing AI Interview from one of your projects.
You'll see a list of all the projects you're a member of, along with the AI Interview activities they contain. Select the activity you want to import.
Once imported, the activity is added to your project. Click Edit to review and update any questions, settings, or other details before launching.
AI Interview Setup: Create from Scratch
Select Create from Scratch to build a new AI Interview manually.
A blank activity is created, allowing you to configure all interview questions, tasks, and settings yourself.
The default Welcome Message and Exit Message are pre-populated. You can keep these defaults or customize them to suit your study before saving and launching the activity.
AI Question Builder FAQ
Can researchers edit sections within the chat after they add them to the canvas?
No. Once a section (goal, audience, or structure) has been added to the Activity Builder, it can only be edited manually in the builder. The AI cannot modify it further.
Once activities are generated, can researchers edit the questions?
Yes. All questions can be edited directly in the Question Builder at any time before data collection begins. Researchers can also update question types and upload stimuli from the Activity Builder.
Once activities are generated, can researchers add non-AI-led tasks to the same activity?
Yes. Researchers can combine AI-led conversation tasks with other task types within the same AI Interview activity.
Can this be used for live interviews?
No. For now, an AI-powered research setup is only for AI Interview activities.
Can researchers skip AI guidance entirely?
Yes. They can use Quick Composer to paste their own questions or choose No help needed to open the manual builder.
What happens if a researcher sends a very long message?
Messages over 8,000 characters are rejected, and the researcher is asked to shorten the input.
Can researchers change the question types the chatbot recommends?
Yes. Recommended question types appear in the canvas during setup and can be updated in the Activity Builder once the activity is generated.
Panel Recruitment
The first feature being released as part of Project Agent is Panel Recruitment, with additional capabilities planned for the future.
When to Use Panel Recruitment
- You are running a self-paced asynchronous activity (not a live interview).
- Your subscription includes both an Incentives Package and the Tech Package (includes Interview Agent).
- Panel recruitment is optimized for high-speed, simple screening. If your study requires highly specific segments or intricate criteria, please utilize our Full Service team to ensure your precise needs are met.
Note: DIY recruitment is not available for projects that use project management services.
Access & Availability
Subscription Type |
Access |
|---|---|
|
Consumer Reach / Consumer Reach+
|
Full access with Recruit Credits |
Pro / Premium |
Panel option appears with a message to purchase credits |
How to Access Panel Recruitment
1. During Project Setup
If you're eligible (Consumer Reach / Consumer Reach+ or have Recruit Credits), you’ll see three recruitment options:
Full Service Recruitment
Recruit via Panel
Bring Your Own Participants
If you select "Recruit via Panel":
You’ll be routed to the Project Overview page with panel recruitment enabled.
2. On the Launch Page (for Self-Paced Activities)
Look for the "Recruit from Panel" button. Clicking it opens the screener creation tool.
If you don’t have credits, a message will display:
“Your subscription does not include recruit credits. Contact your Discuss Account Manager to learn more.”
Setting Up Your Screener
-
Create or edit your self-captures activity and navigate to the "Launch" tab
-
Click Recruit from Panel.
-
Select the activity for which the recruitment will be for
Recruitment can only be done for one activity within a project. If you need to recruit for multiple activities, you’ll need to create a separate project for each one.
For example, if you also need recruiters for the Shop Along France activity, create a new project, add the Self Captures activity there, and then click Recruit from Panel for that activity in the new project.
-
Select your target audience:
- General Public
- Business Professionals
- Senior Business & Healthcare Professionals
- Review the credit cost shown. The credit cost will vary depending on the target audience selected.
-
If prompted, enter the quota of respondents that you intend to have for this activity
Navigate again to the " Launch" tab and click on "Recruit from Panel"
- Create your screener:
- Fill in project details
-
Use disqualifiers to fine-tune targeting
-
Add demographics, targeting
-
Review the final details and submit.
Once submitted, the screener is locked, recruitment begins, and quotas/consent forms are sent to the panel provider.If you are not satisfied with the participant reach or estimates, do not click “Finish.” Instead, click Back to edit the Criteria in Phase 3. Then, return to the Final Review page, and the estimates will update based on the criteria you modified.
- Submission confirmation
When your respondents have been selected, you will see them in the "Add/Edit Respondents" view on the respondent hub
Screener & Recruitment Guidelines
- Project Description: Max 800 characters
When setting up your screener, make sure the questions you ask align with the criteria you've selected. This helps you filter and choose the right participants once responses come in.
- Time Required: Minimum 5 minutes, in 5-minute increments
- At least two screening questions are required (with qualifiers/disqualifiers)
- Audience-Specific Inputs:
- General Public: Topics, country, past participation, income, gender, etc.
- Business Professionals / Senior Business & Healthcare Professionals: Industry, job function, seniority, healthcare-related titles or skills
- Only single-select and multi-select question types are available in version 1
-
Match Your Screener Questions to Your Criteria: When setting up your screener, make sure the questions you ask align with the criteria you've selected. This helps you filter and choose the right participants once responses come in.
Example: If you've selected age groups like 21 to 29, 30 to 39, or 40 to 54 in your criteria, include a screener question that mirrors those ranges:
Question: “What’s your age range?”
• 21 to 29
• 30 to 39
• 40 to 54
Countries that Discuss Can Recruit From
Click to view the full list of supported countries
- Afghanistan
- Aland Islands
- Albania
- Algeria
- American Samoa
- Andorra
- Anguilla
- Antarctica
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Aruba
- Australia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Bahamas
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Belize
- Benin
- Bermuda
- Bhutan
- Bolivia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Bouvet Island
- Brazil
- British Indian Ocean Territory
- Brunei Darussalam
- Bulgaria
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Canada
- Cape Verde
- Cayman Islands
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Chile
- China
- Christmas Island
- Cocos (Keeling) Islands
- Colombia
- Comoros
- Congo
- Congo, Democratic Republic of
- Cook Islands
- Costa Rica
- Cote D'Ivoire
- Croatia
- Cuba
- Curaçao
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Djibouti
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- El Salvador
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Estonia
- Ethiopia
- Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
- Faroe Islands
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- French Guiana
- French Polynesia
- French Southern Territories
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Georgia
- Germany
- Ghana
- Gibraltar
- Greece
- Greenland
- Grenada
- Guadeloupe
- Guam
- Guatemala
- Guernsey
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Heard Island and Mcdonald Islands
- Holy See (Vatican City State)
- Honduras
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
- Iceland
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran, Islamic Republic Of
- Iraq
- Ireland
- Isle of Man
- Israel
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Jersey
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Kosovo
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Lao People's Democratic Republic
- Latvia
- Lebanon
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macao
- Macedonia
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mali
- Malta
- Marshall Islands
- Martinique
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Mayotte
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Montserrat
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Nauru
- Nepal
- Netherlands
- Netherlands Antilles
- New Caledonia
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Niue
- Norfolk Island
- North Korea
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Norway
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Palau
- Palestinian Territory, Occupied
- Panama
- Papua New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Pitcairn
- Poland
- Portugal
- Puerto Rico
- Qatar
- Reunion
- Romania
- Rwanda
- Saint Helena
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Pierre and Miquelon
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Samoa
- San Marino
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Saudi Arabia
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Solomon Islands
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- Sudan
- Suriname
- Swaziland
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania, United Republic of
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- Togo
- Tokelau
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Turkmenistan
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- United States
- United States Minor Outlying Islands
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
- Virgin Islands, British
- Virgin Islands, U.S.
- Wallis and Futuna
- Western Sahara
- Yemen
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Managing Respondents in the Hub
Respondents recruited via the panel API will auto-populate in the Add/Edit Respondents grid.
- Source column: “In-Panel”
- Phone/Email: “N/A” (not shared by the panel provider)
- Timezone: Not editable
- Assign to Interview: Disabled
- Screener responses are visible in the grid
Here you can select the respondent that you'd like to invite. To easily remember the respondents that you want to invite, add them to your favorites by clicking the star next to their name.
Select Respondents and Send the Activity
Click Notify & Invite.
Select Self-Capture activities.
Choose the activity.
Select the respondents you want to invite.
Scroll down if needed to select additional respondents.
Send the invitations.
If you added respondents to your favorites, you'll easily identify them here to be invited.
If Quota Isn’t Being Met
If the screener has been submitted but quotas are not filling due to low reach rate:
-
Go to the Services Request card on the Project Overview page.
-
Indicate that you need Project Management with Recruitment for Self-Paced feedback.
- Fill out the rest of the Services Request form.
Notifying/Inviting Respondents
- All communication (invites, reminders, redo requests) is handled via the panel, no further action should be taken in the respondent hub other than selecting which respondent you want.
- Respondents see messages within the RIO platform.
- Do not use the “Send Interview Invites” option; panel-sourced respondents are not eligible for live interviews.
Reviewing Responses & Managing Incentives
Notifications: When responses are received, Project Owners and Editors receive an email with a 10-day window to request a redo or reject a response.
Redo & Rejection:
- Redo Requested – Use if clarification is needed.
- Reject Respondent – Use for poor-quality or abusive responses (permanent action, incentive withheld).
Incentive Payouts: After 10 days, if no action is taken, RIO is notified to pay incentives automatically. Payment takes approximately 3 days, after which the response status updates to “Complete” with a green checkmark.
Key Reminders & Feature Limitations
- DIY recruitment is available only for asynchronous activities.
- Recruit Credits are required.
- Screeners cannot be edited once submitted.
- Only overall quotas are supported (no split quotas).
- Available response types: Select One or Select All That Apply.
- Skip logic is not supported.
- Job titles cannot be selected for B2B studies (except certain healthcare roles).
- If Recruit Credits are insufficient, the remaining balance will be invoiced.
- Only participants 18 years or older are eligible for recruitment through Project Agent.
- The panel provider will recruit 3x the number of participants defined by your quota in Activity Settings
- This means if you set your quota to 20, you will receive 60 recruits
- You can recruit up to 500 participants per screener (and will still receive 3x that amount)
- Researchers will only pay for the recruits they use - the screener will provide a quote based on your activity type, length of activity, and your quota. Still, you will only be charged in credits for recruits who complete activities.