Essential Skills for Modern Testers [Testμ 2024]

In a session of Testμ 2024, James Massa discussed four key areas for modern testers to focus on: testing AI, using AI tools for testing, understanding FinOps, and maintaining data quality. He emphasized the importance of embracing AI tools to automate tasks and spot patterns, while also stressing the need for responsible AI practices and ensuring good data quality. Massa introduced the concept of an AI Lingo Level Set to help ensure that everyone is on the same page regarding key AI terms and concepts. He also highlighted several general QA predictions for the future, including more releases, products, and customizations leading to increased testing, and the integration of AI earlier in the development process. Massa provided insights on testing Large Language Models and Machine Learning systems, emphasizing the importance of high-quality data, diverse test datasets, relevant performance metrics, continuous evaluation, ethical considerations, and human oversight. Finally, he discussed the role of AI in QA for deterministic systems and the significance of integrating FinOps into the quality assurance process.