Will AI replace testers?

🙋 Questions
, , , ,
1

Hey all! Been a topic for while. Will AI be a tool for testers or a replacement?

Saw this YC Lightcone podcast. Around 23:01-24:30, one of the YC partners talks abt Momentic, an AI agent for building tests using plain English.

  • Side note: Anyone check them out? Thoughts on this specific company?

The entire discussion is focused around the idea of software shifting from SaaS/being a tool to actually replacing departments and jobs. Specifically, testing/QA is mentioned.

Supposedly, testing with this AI is quick enough so devs can own the entire testing process. The hosts seem to think that AI agents will replace testers
 Curious to hear the community’s thoughts on this topic!

2 Likes
2

I will say it again :smiley: AI will not replace testers, “Testers who use AI, will replace Testers”

“They don’t need a QA team at all”
This guy can talk all that he wants but he has no clue about what a tester does on the job :stuck_out_tongue:

There are several posts about this topic already on this forum, feel free to search for some!

2 Likes
3

Hey there, fellow QA folks! :robot::test_tube:

Just diving into this spicy AI in testing debate - and boy, do I have thoughts!

Let’s cut through the hype: AI isn’t going to replace testers, but it WILL dramatically transform how we work. Think of it like a supercharged assistant, not a job killer.

Real Talk Insights:
Devs “owning testing” sounds great in theory, but anyone who’s actually done complex testing knows it’s WAY more nuanced than running a few automated checks
AI tools like Momentic are impressive, but they struggle with:

  1. Contextual understanding of complex user flows
  2. Detecting subtle edge cases
  3. Understanding business logic beyond surface-level interactions

My Hot Take:
QA professionals bring critical thinking, strategic test design, and deep domain expertise that no AI can replicate overnight. We’re not just “clicking buttons” - we’re risk managers, quality guardians, and user experience advocates.

Momentic specifically looks interesting, but I’d love to hear from anyone who’s actually used their platform. Sounds like they’re trying to solve the “test creation is painful” problem, which is legit.

Curious what others think! Are you seeing AI as a threat or an opportunity? Drop your thoughts below! :point_down:

Cheers,
Ramanan :female_detective::thinking:

1 Like
4

The are at least two aspects:

  1. What AI, especially LLM, is capable of. It’s not enough to replace (good) testers. It’s another tool.
  2. What promises vendors are making and some people believe.

Will some managers believe that AI can replace testers and therefore do it? Yes.
Will it be good for the testing in these companies? No.

1 Like
5

Will it replace testers? No.

Will the role change and require us to admit our skill set? Yes.

AI will change the landscape of the profession. However, this situation is not unique, as many professions will evolve. We are in the midst of the latest Industrial Revolution, and as with other Industrial Revolutions, there are two polarising scenarios.

Scenario utopia: The ‘insert relevant advancement’ will allow humans to stop working and live a life of luxury.

Scenario dystopia: The ‘insert relevant advancement’ is going to take our jobs, and we are all going to suffer and live a life of toil.

As history has proven, neither of these scenarios plays out, and reality lies somewhere between the two. To be on the right side of the scenario, we need to adapt and embrace the advancement, but we must treat it with healthy scepticism. This aligns with the natural state of testers. I like to think we are adaptable and embrace change but approach it with healthy scepticism.

Let’s also consider some of the general concerns around AI:
How can we trust it?
How can we ensure that it handles information securely?
How can we ensure it isn’t biased?
How can we ensure it is performing as we expect it to?

The answer to all of these questions
 robust and thorough testing!

If we adapt and further develop our skills, we will be needed now more than ever. It is up to us as professionals to prove this and be masters of our own destiny.

7

I’m confident Ai has replaced some Testers already. More specifically, high levels of automated tool use, that has elements of Ai, has been one aspect of reducing the numbers of Testers at some companies.

Will Ai replace the entire Software Testing discipline? I hope not, I think like others have said it will evolve the role to make room for people who are adept as usual Ai powered tools.

Automation and Ai tooling isn’t the only disruptive force that has changed the role of the Tester over the last 10+ years.

The evaluation of the role from Test Executor to Test Engineer and Coach has been driven by experienced Testers, and technology leaders who rightly identified things could be improved.

Alan Richardson did a great Podcast episode on this some time ago, title Manual QA is Dead, it still holds true today, even if it isn’t focused on Ai.

1 Like