ChatGPT and generative AI have garnered considerable attention from software testing and development communities, with opinions ranging from potentially beneficial implications for testing speed and quality to fuelling anxiety of tester job security. Business managers often view automation and AI as cost avoidance measures for Quality Assurance, yet the speculation that new technologies available would “replace” testing or testers is a complex topic.
The relationship between speed and complexity in software development is one key aspect of the discussion. Doing individual tasks quickly unavoidably adds to the complexity and thus to the workload. Automating tests reduces the labor associated with creating and running tests, yet this efficiency obviously speeds up software development which reduces testing time available as well. Exhaustive test coverage goal is harder to achieve that it was a decade ago.
Therefore, ChatGPT and generative AI will not “replace” testing or testers. Instead, they provide a useful tool to go faster and thus are more likely to expand the scope and job opportunities in new QA processes. Testers and SDETs will be needed to apply their expertise to new tools and processes, assessing the usage and implementation of AI-based automation within their organization.
Pete Walen, is credited as one of the top 10 testers of all time and works as a senior software tester, writer, and Agile coach with more than 35 years of software experience. Pete is the founder of the Workshop Wellness, an organization helping teams and individuals build connection and understanding across distance, diversity, and disconnection. He is also the author of multiple books including “The Art of Agile Development” and “The DevOps Handbook.”
ChatGPT is an AI-based chatbot solution for software engineering and DevOps. Its end-to-end machine learning works to automate the generation of effective natural language queries, providing a platform to help developers and testers select the most relevant paths when engaging with a virtual assistant. With ChatGPT, workers can save hours of test-scripting and quickly find precise answers to their questions related to coding and dev tasks.
