“A bad developer will be replaced by AI. A good one will build AI into their workflow.”
(Richard Seidl)
Remember the 3D printing hype? There was a time when everyone was talking about how we’d soon just order blueprints online and print our toothbrushes, spare parts, shoes and even our food. And? Well, I don’t own one. Most people I know don’t either. And the ones who do aren’t printing schnitzel with it. That doesn’t mean the technology failed, though. In dental labs, in manufacturing and in mechanical engineering, 3D printing is mature and in productive use. Keep that picture in mind, because it says a lot about AI for testers, too.
That’s how it goes with many innovations. First comes the this-will-change-everything and you-have-to-rebuild-your-business-now-or-you’re-finished phase. Then a bit of a hangover. And then (this is the nice part) the innovation finds its place in our society. It supports us. Moves us forward. Makes new things possible. Sometimes turns whole industries upside down. Destroys jobs and creates them. But not as a worst-case meltdown. In a way that lets us carry on. Get up, straighten your crown, keep going. The Gartner Hype Cycle illustrates this nicely. Google it, Bing it or GPT it!
Will AI Replace Testers?
And AI? Are all knowledge, information and virtual jobs about to be wiped out? Will only tradespeople and doctors be left?
I don’t think so.
Yes, some jobs will get run over. Some industries too. Like the weavers back in their day. But here, as with every other job, the good and the clever will figure out how to make AI work for them and grow with it. The others will grumble, rant and start looking around.
AI for Testers in Software Development and Testing
So what does that mean for us? Over the last few weeks, I’ve talked about this with a lot of people from programming, architecture, requirements engineering and testing. Their take here, too: use AI to do your work better.
And testers? We have great opportunities to put AI to work as well: for analysis, creating test cases, finding defects and generating test data. When I think back to my first test projects, I’m relieved that testers today no longer have to do all of that by hand 😉
Trust Stays Human
And in the end, we testers still have one ace up our sleeve: trust. Would you want to ride in a car that was tested only by an AI? I wouldn’t.
Not yet.
