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 self-paced research activities 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:
AI-Powered Research Setup (Beta), which guides the creation of AI-led self-paced activities and automatically generates interview questions.
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.
AI-Powered Research Setup (Beta)
AI-Powered Research Setup is a chat-based experience within Project Agent that helps move from an initial research idea or brief to a complete self-paced, AI-led activity. Instead of starting from an empty question list, the setup guides the process through a series of structured steps and then generates a full set of AI-led interview questions.
This experience is designed to reduce setup time, improve question quality, and support both early-stage and experienced research workflows.
AI-Powered Research Setup is available only within the Self-Paced Activity Builder.
The setup chat and the Activity Builder appear side by side, allowing changes to be seen in real time as fields are populated.
Access and Availability:
Available only for organizations with the Project Agent included. Interview Agent alone will not include this feature.
To confirm whether you have this feature included, please reach out to your customer success manager
Getting Started With the Self-Paced Activity Builder:
The setup runs as a guided chat that focuses on three core elements of research design:
Research goal
Target audience
Study structure
As each element is finalized, it is added directly to the Activity Builder. Once all three elements are complete, a structured set of AI-led interview questions is generated automatically.
All generated content appear in the Activity Builder, where the researcher can review and edit before launch.
Key Capabilities:
Chat-based setup: The chat guides the setup process step by step, keeping the focus on essential inputs.
Research goal: Define what the activity is intended to learn.
Target audience: Specify who the activity is meant to hear from. This information is used only to add context for the AI interviewer and does not affect recruitment.
Study structure: Outline how the activity should run, including the overall flow and approach.
Auto-generated interview questions: After the research goal, audience, and structure are confirmed, the system:
Generates interview questions aligned with the defined research goal
Adds custom probing instructions for the AI interviewer
Organizes questions into a logical sequence
Inserts the full question set directly into the Question Builder
If no responses have been collected, the setup can be adjusted, and the question set regenerated.
Manual Setup Options
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
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
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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
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 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.
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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, but you will only be charged in credits for recruits who complete activities.