Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger: How AI is Transforming Software Quality Assurance | TTC Global

Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger: How AI is Transforming Software Quality Assurance

AI is changing software quality assurance (QA), transforming it from a cost center into a strategic value driver. QA is no longer just about catching bugs; it’s about enabling growth, safeguarding reputation, and accelerating digital transformation.

Thomas Hadorn Group CEO
  • Group CEO
  • TTC Global

When Daft Punk sang "Work it harder, make it better, do it faster, make us stronger," in their cult hit ‘Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger’ some 20 years ago, they might as well have been describing the way artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing quality assurance (QA) and software testing. Beneath the hypnotic rhythm and robotic choreography of the song’s video lies a core truth for technology leaders: automation, when done properly, is a powerful force multiplier – delivering faster results, better quality and stronger business outcomes.

As business leaders—whether we’re CEOs, CIOs or executives responsible for growth, profitability and customer satisfaction—we understand the importance of staying competitive in a world where every company is becoming an AI company. Embracing innovations that reduce costs, drive revenue and deliver exceptional customer experiences is no longer optional; it’s essential. AI in QA is one such innovation—a strategic enabler that transforms software quality from a cost centre into a value driver. It not only enhances the quality of software but also accelerates time-to-market, safeguards reputation and ensures measurable economic value. Much like Bill Gates's vision of ‘information at your fingertips,’ AI has become a transformative force at the fingertips of every QA professional.

Work It Harder: AI and Smarter Testing

Quality assurance has historically been seen as a necessary cost centre. But today, AI reshapes this narrative by unlocking smarter, more targeted testing approaches that optimise resource allocation and deliver economic value. For example, AI-powered tools can perform impact analyses, helping testers focus only on the parts of the software most likely to have a big impact after a change. This targeted testing saves countless hours and ensures the highest risk areas are covered.

Automation, driven by AI, is another game-changer. Tasks that once required repetitive manual effort are now executed with precision and speed. Consider visual test automation, powered by machine learning - technologies like Tricentis’ Vision AI recognise objects (such as dynamically generated elements in software) as intuitively as a self-driving car detects road signs. By reducing dependency on traditional code-based testing, we’re not just saving costs but enabling our teams to focus on creating robust testing strategies that directly impact the bottom line.

Make It Better: Enhancing Quality with AI

AI doesn't just speed things up—it makes software better. By identifying gaps in test coverage and ensuring compliance, AI enables QA teams to meet regulatory requirements which reduce the risk of costly production errors. This is especially crucial in heavily regulated industries like finance, healthcare and insurance. With augmented test processes using machine learning, we can ensure compliance and identify areas of improvement in ways manual efforts never could.

Moreover, AI tools like the Copilots that are built into QA solutions empower QA engineers to draft comprehensive test scenarios quickly, thereby ensuring robust software with minimal human error. The Holy Grail? An AI system that autonomously generates test scenarios, potentially transforming QA into a predictive and proactive practice.

Yet, as with Daft Punk’s robotic imagery, the growing influence of AI in QA can evoke questions about man’s reliance on machines. How much control should humans cede, and how do we maintain the creative edge in what can become a repetitive and mechanical process? I firmly believe that robust QA practices will still require a human in the loop for quite some time. Our challenge, and opportunity, is to blend human ingenuity with machine precision to achieve transformative results.

Do It Faster: Accelerating Time-to-Market

Speed is the lifeblood of modern businesses. Whether rolling out updates or launching new applications, delays can cost companies their edge in competitive markets. AI accelerates this process by streamlining workflows and automating regression tests. With AI, the phrase ‘time is money’ becomes more than a saying – it’s a measurable advantage.

Consider a typical scenario: an organization planning an SAP migration. With AI-driven impact analysis and test automation, such projects can avoid the costly pitfalls of manual testing. This is not just about speed—it’s about delivering uncompromising quality at speed.

AI-tools can quickly scan the code base, identifying changes or new code and analyze these changes for gaps in unit testing. Thanks to these deeper insights into test coverage, organizations get faster application delivery, time-to-market acceleration, better quality software, lower costs and traceability. In that way, by enabling shift-left testing, AI identifies unit test defects early on in the SDLC and, by automatically remediating them, minimises risks before they cascade into bigger issues.

Make Us Stronger: The Business Case for AI in QA

AI transforms QA into a strategic enabler, shifting its perception from a cost to a value generator. The financial benefits are clear: faster deployments, fewer bugs in production and greater user satisfaction. Perhaps, more importantly, AI safeguards a company's reputation by preventing public failures caused by software glitches.

As we extend our expertise in AI, we are also strengthening our capabilities as a company. Not only are we upskilling our consultants so they can work with our partners’ AI-powered QA solutions, but we have also built out a solid AI Advisory service. We assist customers in exploring how machine learning and AI-powered QA tools can enhance their testing efficiency and accuracy. For example, our AI Readiness Assessment helps businesses assess their AI initiatives’ performance, bias and reliability, thereby ensuring/(or: reliability, so that) they get the most out of their investments..

Personally, AI has become an essential part of my daily routine—I use it for research, web searches, summarization, translation, etc. But that’s just the beginning! AI helps me brainstorm ideas, draft emails, analyze data, optimize workflows and even enhance my presentations. Whether it’s generating insights in seconds, automating repetitive tasks or breaking down language barriers, AI is like having a 24/7 assistant that boosts productivity and creativity. But it also keeps me alert to the fact that AI is not perfect. We are still in the early stages of this new industrial revolution, and there is much more potential to unlock.

Daft Punk's lyrics and the ‘Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger’ video remind us of the dual nature of emerging technologies like AI: empowering yet mechanical, liberating yet potentially dystopian. For QA, AI is the ultimate enabler of this drive. It allows companies to deliver harder-working, better-quality, faster-deploying and stronger-performing software.

In a world where software is the backbone of innovation, ensuring its quality has never been more critical. At TTC Global, we believe in harnessing AI to transform QA into a force that empowers organizations. Going forward, every company is becoming an AI company—and a stronger company begins with better software.