Software testing is a process to evaluate the functionality of a software application with the intent to find whether the developed software meets its specific requirements and to ensure that the product is error-free
However, due to a lack of time and resources including the need to deliver the product within the stipulated time period, developers are unable to do exhausting testing resulting in the presence of several bugs.
However, as software testing constitutes a very fundamental aspect in the area of software development and considering the breakneck pace of new software and product launches, there is no way other than to do smart testing going forward.
Releases that used to occur once a month now do occur on a weekly basis and updates have also become a common phenomenon, sometimes even happening on alternative days. The only option than going forward is the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the software testing process to make it more efficient and smart.
By incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities in testing, testers can move beyond the traditional route of manual testing models and move forward towards an automated and precision-based continuous testing process. Artificial intelligence will help testers reduce the amount of mundane and tedious tasks in development and testing.
Let us take a look at the manner in which AI will help testers do the testing process in a fast, easy and smart way.
Improved accuracy
There is every possibility of even the most experienced tester committing some errors while carrying out monotonous manual testing. However, in the case of automated testing, AI can perform these very same repetitive tests more accurately and record the detailed results. As a result, testers freed from repetitive manual tests have more time to use their creativity and thinking skills to bring improvements in areas to which they are relocated.
Early bug detection
Artificial intelligence (AI) can identify bugs before they become expensive as bugs become more expensive to fix as the software development process evolves. Artificial intelligence offers instant feedback – which can help identify bugs early in the process and deliver significant cost savings.
A report by IBMs Systems Science Institute has highlighted the fact that the cost to fix an error found after product release was four to five times more expensive than one uncovered during the design process and up to hundred times more than a bug identified in the maintenance phase.
Faster testing processes
It has been proved time and again that human testers cannot achieve the same level of speed and accuracy as achieved by automated testing that uses artificial intelligence. Instead of having to go through thousands of lines of code, as manual testers have to do, AI can quickly sort through log files, scan code in seconds and detect errors in much lesser time.
Every time source code is modified, software tests need to be performed and doing this manually is not only time consuming but extremely costly too. Automated tests, on the other hand, can be executed repeatedly and that too at a faster rate and with no extra cost.
Beneficial to both developers & testers
Shared automated tests can be made use of by developers to detect any issue before it is sent to the testing team. Tests can run automatically whenever source code changes are checked in and notify the team or the developer if they fail. Features like these save developer’s time and increase their confidence.
Better evaluation of product performance
Automated testing will provide better help in assessing whether the product performs as intended without any issues, and in the manner, it was expected to perform. Additionally, it is also able to better look into memory and file contents, internal program states and data tables. Artificial intelligence is capable of executing several hundreds of tests in different test cases in every test run providing coverage that is not possible with manual testing.
Conclusion
In the present day, the adoption of artificial intelligence in the testing process is gaining momentum with more and more companies adopting artificial intelligence in their testing process. This is because the benefits that accompany the use of AI in the testing process are manifold and companies that adopt it will deliver projects devoid of any bugs and also at a faster rate.
