AI isn’t just changing research tools—it’s reshaping how research itself happens. Lou chats with ResearchOps pioneer (and co-host of the upcoming inaugural UXR Tools Summit) Kate Towsey about the shift from linear workflows toward interconnected research systems where recruiting, knowledge management, repositories, and insights all function as part of a single ecosystem. Kate argues that future organizations will rely on “insights lakes,” structured collections of knowledge that anyone can query through AI interfaces, making research continuously accessible rather than locked behind reports. The discussion explores how tool vendors are evolving toward integrated platforms, why taxonomy and information architecture are even more essential in an AI-driven world, and how research operations professionals are becoming critical connectors across teams and technologies. Rather than replacing researchers, AI may free them to focus on identifying knowledge gaps and proactively generating insight. Kate ultimately offers an optimistic perspective: the future favors makers and experimenters—professionals willing to play, adapt, and help shape how AI is used responsibly within research practice. What You'll Learn from this Episode: Why research workflows are shifting from linear processes to interconnected systems How AI is enabling “insights lakes” that make organizational knowledge searchable and reusable The growing importance of taxonomy, metadata, and information architecture in AI-driven research Why research ops roles become more critical—not less—in an AI future How research tool ecosystems may evolve into both integrated platforms and specialized stacks Why experimentation, play, and maker mindsets are key skills for researchers navigating rapid change   Quick Reference Guide: 1:19 - Meet Kate Towsey 2:27 - About the UXR Tools Summit 3:56 - Participant recruitment is just one piece of research ops 9:01 - Research tooling shifting toward ecosystems, not single solutions 13:50 - Knowledge management evolves into AI-powered insights infrastructure 19:56 - 5 Reasons to use the Rosenverse 22:20 - AI sparks creative renewal for makers 28:13 - Kate’s gift for listeners   Resources and Links from Today's Episode: Kate Towsey’s website https://katetowsey.com/ Research That Scales by Kate Towsey https://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/research-that-scales/ Cha-Cha Club https://chacha.club/ Research Ops Review https://www.theresearchopsreview.com/ UXR Tools Summit https://rosenfeldmedia.com/advancing-research/program/#tab=day-3 A Work in Progress by René Redzepi https://www.amazon.com/Work-Progress-Journal-Ren%C3%A9-Redzepi/dp/0714877549   Quotes: “Even with the power of AI, brilliance is going to be needed.”  “People who are makers by nature are having a whale of a time. They’re seeing lots of space for opportunity, for building, for reinventing.”   “It’s less about whether you’re a researcher or designer and more about whether you’re a maker and an experimenter.” “There needs to be an element of play — making mistakes and building things that don’t work.”