Origins of Automation
- Leonardo da Vinci: Way ahead of his time! Created an automatic gold-beating machine for textile production in Florence.
- Automation’s Goal: Always to boost productivity – starting with manufacturing, and now essential in digital workflows, like CI/CD pipelines for development and testing.
Rise of Automation in QA
Early 2010s: Automation in QA exploded, with CI/CD promising the ability to automate almost anything. Pessimism & Role Changes: Testers worried about job security as automation became essential in Agile’s fast-paced environment. Popular Tools: Selenium and Cypress ruled – coding skills were needed for automation.
AI Steps In
AI-Driven Tools: Today, AI-powered automation can record tests, no coding needed – cutting down time and effort. Limits of Automation: Great for functional tests but struggles with subjective areas like usability and accessibility. Human Testing: Still essential for complex, intuitive tasks that machines miss.
Balance in Testing: Human + Automation
- Humans vs. Tech: Humans detect nuances and adapt; machines excel at repetition.
- Avoid Automating Everything: Choose what needs automating. Don’t add automation just for stats.
- Test Pyramid: Automate at the lowest level (unit tests), reduce end-to-end tests.
Wise Automation
- Strategic Focus: Focus on high-risk areas, like order flows for e-commerce.
- Team Strategy: Plan automation in team sessions to maximize value.
The Future of Automation in QA
Autonomous Testing: Bots could handle all testing, but they lack empathy and creativity – real QA needs humans. Balanced Approach: Automate repetitive tasks; keep humans for exploratory, creative testing.
In Summary
Automation boosts efficiency but doesn’t replace the human touch. Automate smartly, and remember that balanced testing means better quality.