NewtonX joins The Debating Group and MRS for a House of Commons debate on the future of AI & research

NewtonX is proud to announce that our COO, Leon Mishkis, has been selected to join a panel of distinguished industry leaders for The Debating Group’s upcoming debate, organized by the Market Research Society (MRS).

The Debating Group has been a cornerstone of the market research industry since 1975, hosting strictly formal—but spirited—debates in historic venues to challenge the status quo. As the world’s leading research association, the MRS has convened this special session at the House of Commons to tackle a motion that strikes at the heart of our profession: “We no longer need to speak directly to people to understand them.”

Leon will be debating the motion alongside Dr. Ben Warner (Co-Founder, Electric Twin), facing opposition from renowned polling expert Sir John Curtice (University of Strathclyde) and Bridget Williams (Ipsos UK). Together, they will explore whether the rapid rise of AI and synthetic data has rendered traditional human connection obsolete.

Leon Mishkis, COO of NewtonX, commented:

"I am incredibly excited to participate in this fun and lively debate alongside such respected leaders. The Debating Group and MRS have a long history of driving critical industry conversations, and this topic is perhaps the most important one we face today.

We are seeing that AI and synthetic research are exciting developments that companies are still learning to leverage. However, what we are learning is that it is not as simple as 'talking vs. not talking' to people. Instead, the enhancements we are seeing suggest that AI will open up a great awakening of customer and human understanding. I look forward to unpacking these nuances at Westminster."

Event Details: The debate will be held on Tuesday, January 27, 2026 in Committee Room 14 at the House of Commons. MRS members and industry professionals are encouraged to join the waitlist here to attend this historic discussion on the future of market research.