Will Artificial Intelligence Replace Quality Assurance Engineers?

Artificial Intelligence has become a popular topic of discussion. Some see the amazing benefits of allowing AI to assist in tasks and improve the world. Others imagine a dangerous future if AI is let loose on the world. 

Whether one believes in a The Jetsons future or a Terminator future, right now, most people are probably trying to calculate if their job is likely to last. Whether an artist, writer, or software developer, many are concerned. 

But we’ll narrow our focus to Quality Assurance professionals who are asking the question–

“Will artificial intelligence replace Quality Assurance Engineers?” 

Quality Assurance has always been an important part of software development. Anyone who has ever dealt with faulty software can confirm that.

A QA Engineer will perform testing, verify functionality, detect defects, and many more tasks to ensure that the software works as intended. Much of the work of quality assurance is currently done manually, but it can be automated with AI. 

But can AI completely replace the work of a QA engineer? 

Short answer. Not yet.

Long answer. The truth is many QA Engineers are already using artificial intelligence to assist them in their work. Machine learning allows AI to analyze large volumes of data, identify patterns, and draw conclusions based on an accumulation of experience. Artificial Intelligence can perform routine tasks, quickly check functionality, and detect basic defects.

Yes, the QA Engineer could do all these tasks on his or her own, but AI enables him or her to do them better and faster.

Think of it like a food processor. A human can chop up vegetables by hand, but it’s faster and more efficient to use a food processor. However, without a human, a food processor is just an expensive machine sitting on the counter.

In the same way, AI is still incapable of completely replacing the work of a QA engineer. Some testing simply cannot be done without human factors, creativity, and intuition. Their skills enable them to think critically, predict possible scenarios, consider context, and interact with the development team. They have the ability to see the software from the end user’s viewpoint and are able to detect problems not always detected by automated methods.

But just like the food processor can help a cook, AI can be a powerful tool to help the human QA Engineer.

AI can automate tasks, reduce routine work, and speed up defect detection. However, the human factor remains an important and integral part of QA testing. 

Combining the work of a human QA engineer with an AI’s assistance can allow the best results to be achieved.

In the future, artificial intelligence may develop to the point where it could perform all aspects of QA testing without the guidance of a human QA Engineer. But for now, QA engineers remain indispensable in the software development process. Their skills, experience, and creativity are indispensable in ensuring the software’s quality and the end-user’s satisfaction. 

If you need a professional and skilled Quality Assurance Engineer to assist your business, Swan Software Solutions can help. To find out more about how our company can help your company, contact us to schedule a free assessment.