• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, January 8, 2024

Surveys are getting shorter. But they are being crammed full of questions on “AI,” “artificial intelligence,” “ChatGPT” and “generative AI.” 

There was a 4X growth of such terms in surveys seen on the SurveyMonkey platform in 2022 -- up from 0.5% to 3% by September 2023. And the term “AI” is being used ten times more than before.

Gender has also been appearing more — eight out 10 surveys sent in the U.K. and Canada in 2023 included more than two gender answer options, up from two out of 10 in 2022. 

There were no numbers provided for the U.S.

Another key finding that is important for email teams and others who write surveys: They are getting shorter. The number of questions per survey has declined by roughly 15% over the past six years, going from 13.2 questions in 2017 to 11 in 2023.

Surveys directed to marketing, HR and CX professionals increasingly featured questions on customer satisfaction, employee engagement, meeting feedback, Net Promoter Score (NPS®), and name testing.

In addition, event registration and RSVP forms head the list of the most-used forms.

Meanwhile, mobile use for answering surveys has grown globally from 52% in 2020 to 57.2%, which may explain why there are fewer questions. 

The analysis is based on analysis of millions of surveyed deployed on the SurveyMonkey platform from 2010 through September 2023. 

“The true value lies in how survey creators put the insights gleaned from the data they collect into action for good: embracing gender inclusion, empowering businesses with AI, and engaging one another in ways that drive human connection,” says Lara Belonogoff, senior director of brand management at SurveyMonkey.

Belonogoff adds: “These are the tangible outcomes of a well-designed, expertly executed survey that drive meaningful decisions, raise the bar for human experiences, and inspire ongoing curiosity.”