AI and the senior tester: How seasoned QA pros can navigate and help define the future of quality engineering

AI’s impact on quality engineering has been widely discussed, with some predicting a crisis for software testers. The more dire forecasts have narrowed in on the junior tester, as some anticipate that AI’s ability to perform routine tasks will eliminate entry-level roles. As Tricentis has explored, AI will not replace junior testers but will rather remake their jobs, enabling them to engage in strategic work earlier in their careers.

But what about the senior tester? These jobs have largely been left out of the AI-in-QA debate, likely because its impact is less straightforward. What opportunities — and challenges — does AI create for testers who have spent years developing expertise in a field that is now rapidly changing?

Adam Satterfield, VP of Engineering for Quality and Delivery at Qualifacts, has two decades of experience in QA and software development. He recognizes that tenured testers (like himself) may feel uncertain about navigating the future. Yet it is the senior testers, armed with experience and institutional knowledge, that are uniquely positioned to lead QA organizations through this era-defining change.

Senior testers cut through the noise

In a short period of time, tenured QA professionals have had to adapt to unprecedented change. QA teams have had to manage a spike in AI-generated code from developers, and testers face increasing pressure to push for faster releases. And now, amidst this upheaval, long-standing tools are being revamped with unfamiliar features.

“Now every refresh of tools that we have, whether it’s a monitoring tool, whether it’s a test case repository, whether it’s a ticketing tool, has AI built into it,” Satterfield said. Managing this much change has led even seasoned testers to feel overwhelmed, Satterfield says.

Though unsettling, it is times like these when experience becomes an advantage. AI may be driving disruption, but it’s also the very tool that will help QA teams stay ahead of it. With more AI-authored code and faster release demands, AI-based testing is now critical. Senior testers, deeply familiar with their company’s pain points, workflows, and bottlenecks, are able to discern which new AI-based tool or feature can solve their team’s unique vulnerabilities in this period of transition.

“You need to, as a senior tester, find a way to get through the noise,” Satterfield said, and use your experience to distinguish the good AI products from the bad, lead your team to the right change-management strategies, and even chart a new career path for yourself.

Use AI to expand your current role — or jump to a new one entirely

AI is a unique challenge for senior professionals who have become accustomed to familiar ways of working. But it’s also an opportunity for tenured testers to ask themselves questions they may not have considered in a while: What do I want to do next? How do I want to lead?

According to Satterfield, senior testers have several paths forward. An experienced QA professional with a more technical interest in AI might want to springboard into an entirely new role, perhaps working exclusively with an AI-based product or testing AI systems. A seasoned tester could also want to expand their current role and become a strategic AI champion in their org.

To determine the right path, Satterfield suggests senior testers ask themselves: “How much AI do I want to pick up?” Moving to a fully AI-based role might mean acquiring new AI engineering and coding skills. Expanding into strategic AI leadership could involve mastering organizational AI practices in QA, like identifying the right use cases for generative or agentic AI in your org, shaping best practices, and choosing the most effective AI tools.

“As a senior tester, now is a good time to reevaluate your career,” Satterfield said. QA professionals should not feel pressured to find a new profession entirely — he stresses that AI is not replacing the tester role. But QA professionals should consider what type of tester they’d like to be in the future and upskill accordingly.

Be open to new industries

In addition to contemplating their role and skill sets, it is also an opportune time for senior testers to reconsider their chosen industry. Satterfield highlighted a few sectors that would make ideal landing spots for experienced testers looking to be on the front lines of AI adoption.

Healthcare, for example, is only now developing and implementing tactical AI products. Regulatory hurdles have kept AI development in this industry largely theoretical until recently. “So, you’ve got the time and the opportunity,” Satterfield said, as a senior tester to grow with the industry — to use your experience and shape the QA practices that will help a highly regulated industry accommodate new technology.

Satterfield notes that security-based software companies are also seeking experienced, agile testers as AI-powered malware becomes more pervasive. This industry will require new and innovative QA practices that can protect software companies from this new type of threat. In both industries, senior testers have the chance to apply their expertise where it could make the most impact.

AI is here to stay

Whatever senior testers decide to do in this time of change — whether that’s hopping to new jobs and industries or redefining a current role — Satterfield notes that it’s important for tenured QA professionals to take AI seriously. Unlike other technological changes senior testers might have experienced in their career, some of which could have been disappointing or overhyped, AI will continue to alter almost every industry. In whatever role or sector, seasoned testers have the experience, judgement, and institutional knowledge to not only adapt to this new season but to shape it.

To learn more about how AI is changing the QA industry, check out our upcoming AI masterclass webinar series, which explores topics like how to track the ROI of your AI investments and the QA metrics that matter most in the age of AI.