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The unknown future rolls toward us, and as the role of AI in software development—specifically how it’s used in testing—grows, so do the complications.
To Hexaware SVP of DevOps and Digital Assurance Nagendra BS, the potential for AI in the development process, specifically for testing, is high—but so is the risk as the usage of AI in testing is as much about the speed as the quality.
“One of the key things that where organizations will have challenges is if a cautious approach is not taken—more in terms of making sure that the adequate preparation before we actually maintain this implementation—and first and foremost is ensuring that any AI implementation in the organization is in line with whatever organizations policies,” Nagendra told IT Brew.
Mission priority. Good data and training can make the difference, Nagendra added, because quality requires that the gatekeepers for the testing software keep on top of the process. Without humans in the loop, the potential for negative impacts becomes higher. If the AI is only communicating with itself, there is a possibility for continued difficulty.
“If it is not tested thoroughly in terms of its bias, or in terms of the expected outcomes that will result in [a] bad experience to the end customers, that’s where it will lead to, that’s the kind of implications [improper] usage of AI would lead to,” Nagendra said.
“While AI can solve a lot of problems in testing, a human in the loop to validate and verify is very critical,” Nagendra added. “Just falling back on AI and taking decisions in terms of the quality might lead to undesired experience issues with the customers.”
As IT Brew reported, AI’s deployment in the software development space is raising eyebrows in the industry. In September, BlinqIO co-founder and CEO Tal Barmeir said that in her view the main thing about software development is to keep people in the process—“no code is actually submitted into the main branch before a human actually goes through it.”
The future's not set. Harry Wang, Sonar’s VP of growth and new ventures, told IT Brew that innovations have led to an increase in software quality and efficiency over time. AI presents the potential for another leap forward, one that could evolve the programming language itself, and improve access.
“As a software tooling provider in the space, what we want to do is ensure the same level of featuring capability we offer—apply to the human and apply to the AI assistance, and ultimately make it easy for the human in control to make that judgment call at the end of the day,” Wang said.