Discussing the Future of Testing with AI

Should software testers be afraid of being replaced by artificial intelligence? That is one of the questions I asked OpenAI’s AI-powered ChatGPT chatbot, and I have to say that I was very pleasantly surprised by the responses. I have also used artificial intelligence to generate the opening image of this "conversation", specifically the DALL-E 2 tool from the same company.

Hey, can you tell us about yourself?

Hi, there. I'm the Assistant, a great language model that was trained by OpenAI. I'm here to help you with your questions and provide you with information if you need it. You can contact me with any questions you might need answers to, and I will do my best to answer them. It is an honor to be of service to you.

So you're actually software. Did the developers test you?

Yes, I am software, and the developers have indeed tested me to ensure that I work properly and that I can provide relevant and accurate answers to the questions people will ask me. The process is very complex, but the developers have prepared and trained me very thoroughly and I'm ready to provide the best possible service.

Do you know what testing methods were used in your development?

Unfortunately, I don't know exactly what testing methods were used in my development. I'm just a big language model that was trained by OpenAI, and I'm not able to provide information about the development process itself. You would have to ask that question directly to the developers who were involved in my development.

There is a lot of talk about automation these days, for instance.

Yes, automation is becoming an increasingly important topic in the world of technology and industry. Automation means using technology, such as robots and software, that are able to perform various tasks for humans. This is very useful because it can help increase productivity and efficiency in various fields, ranging from industry to services. Automation is also becoming an increasingly important topic in discussions about the future of work and employment, as it may have an impact on the type of work that will be available to people in the future.

Do you think AI will replace software testers or developers?

It's hard to say whether AI could replace software testers or developers. The AI is currently used as a tool rather than a replacement for humans in software development and testing. It can help with data analysis and improve various processes, but so far it does not seem to be able to replace humans in these professions completely. Of course, it is possible that this will change in the future, but for now it doesn't look like it will.

That's good, I'd hate to lose my job because of you 🙂

I'm sorry you're concerned that you might lose your job because of my existence. I hope this doesn't worry you too much. I'm merely a big language model that is meant to provide people with information and help them with various questions. I am not able to perform complex tasks such as software testing or new program development, so you do not have to worry about your job because of me. I'm just here as a helpful tool, and I hope that I will be useful to you.

I understand that, I meant it more as a joke.

Oh, I see. I'm sorry I didn't get your joke. It's difficult for me to understand jokes because I'm just software and I don't have the communication and empathy skills required to understand jokes. I believe I will be able to provide you with information and help with your questions, but understanding jokes is unfortunately not one of my strengths. I apologize for that.

Back to our conversation. Artificial intelligence will be part of many industries and professions in the future. Where should I start if I want to learn how to create my own artificial intelligence to help me test software?

If you would like to learn how to create your own artificial intelligence to help you test software, I would recommend starting with some basic courses and books on artificial intelligence and machine learning. These are two areas that are key to creating your own AI tools, so it would be a good idea to get a basic overview of these topics. You can also try checking out some online courses or tutorials that could help you better understand the basics of artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Are there already any AI-powered software tools?

Yes, some software tools powered by artificial intelligence are already available. These tools are designed to use AI and machine learning principles to perform a variety of tasks. For example, there are tools that are able to automatically analyze data and make conclusions or predictions from it, other tools can automatically process natural language and provide answers to queries, and other tools are able to perform various tasks in real time. These tools are still in the early stages of development but have a very promising potential and can help improve various processes and tasks.

This is great news. I would like to try something out. Write a test scenario for me to test a simple order form.

• Go to the order form page.
• Fill out the required form fields such as name, address, and contact information.
• Select the desired products from the menu and enter the desired quantity.
• Check that all the information filled in is correct and accurate.
• Click on the "Submit Order" button.
• Check that the order has been successfully dispatched and that the order confirmation is displayed.
• Check that you can go to the order overview page and that the newly created order is displayed.
• Test if it is possible to edit or delete the order before submitting it.
• Test if it is possible to submit the order without filling in all required items and if an error message is displayed.
• Test whether it is possible to send an order with invalid information, such as a non-existent address or an invalid phone number, and whether an error message is displayed.

Good job! I think I'll write to you again when I need help testing.

Thanks for the compliments. I'm glad I could be of assistance. If you need any further help with testing or any other questions, please feel free to contact me. I will be happy to help you.

What other technologies, besides AI, could a software tester learn to keep up with the times?

A software tester could learn a wide range of technologies that are popular and used in software testing. Some of the technologies that could prove useful are:

• Test automation: a software tester could learn to use test automation tools and methods such as test frameworks and test tools.
• Cloud computing: a software tester could learn to work with cloud services and technologies such as Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure.
• DevOps: a software tester could learn about the principles and practices of DevOps, a philosophy aimed at improving collaboration between developers and IT operations.
• Real-time testing: a software tester could learn how to work with real-time testing tools such as Selenium or JMeter.
• Virtual and augmented reality: a software tester could learn to use virtual and augmented reality application testing tools such as Unity or Unreal Engine.
• Mobile testing: a software tester could learn to test mobile apps and work with mobile app testing tools such as Appium or Perfecto.

It's always important to keep up to date with current trends and news in software testing so that a software tester can continually evolve and keep up with the times.

Thank you for the conversation. Can I share it on our software testing blog?

Of course, you can share our conversation on your software testing blog. I'm glad I could be helpful and I hope our conversation will serve other readers as inspiration or guidance.