Synthetic data is information generated algorithmically to replicate the statistical patterns or qualitative characteristics of real-world data, without being collected from actual research participants. In the context of AI-moderated research, the term has become increasingly relevant as some vendors use synthetic respondents or AI-generated personas to simulate consumer reactions rather than capturing genuine human input. While synthetic data has legitimate applications in fields like software testing and privacy-sensitive analytics, its use as a substitute for real participant voices in qualitative research raises serious questions about validity, representational accuracy, and the trustworthiness of findings used to inform business decisions. Research-grade qualitative work depends on authentic human expression, not modeled approximations of it.