QA Isn’t Dying—It’s Evolving: Embracing the Future of Quality Assurance in 2025

The claim that “QA is on its way out” is nothing new—it pops up every few years, usually stirred up by shifts in tech, business strategies, or the latest management trends. As 2024 winds down and 2025 looms, it’s worth taking a closer look: is QA really disappearing, or is it just changing to tackle new challenges? And where does AI fit into all of this?

Why Do We Keep Asking This?

First things first: why does this question keep coming back? To us, it reflects the ups and downs of QA—not just as a practice but as a business priority.

The QA Cycle: A Case of Forgetting

QA’s journey in the tech world feels a bit like a loop we can’t break:

1. A Crisis Hits: A critical bug or system failure blows up, costing the company big in money or reputation.
2. QA Becomes a Hero: Everyone scrambles to fix the mess, pouring time and money into building proper QA teams and processes.
3. Smooth Sailing: Things get better. Bugs are caught, systems run like clockwork, and everyone starts to relax.
4. Complacency Creeps In: Management starts wondering if QA is overkill. “Do we really need all this? Maybe the devs can handle it.”
5. QA Gets Cut: Teams shrink, budgets dry up, and QA responsibilities get scattered across the org.
6. Rinse and Repeat: Another disaster happens, and the whole cycle starts over.

The root problem? When QA works well, it’s practically invisible—no bugs, no outages, no angry customers. Ironically, that’s what makes it look like it’s not needed.

So, is QA really going away?

Not a chance. It’s not disappearing—it’s evolving. With AI, automation, and agile workflows leading the way, QA is shifting gears, not fading out. It’s still as critical as ever; it’s just taking on new forms to stay relevant.

Stay tuned as we dive deeper into how QA is keeping up with the times and proving its worth in today’s fast-moving tech world.

Shift Left: A Blessing or a Misstep?

The "shift left" philosophy is often hyped as a potential “QA killer,” aiming to catch issues earlier in development by focusing on unit testing and putting more accountability on developers. On paper, it sounds brilliant: fixing problems early is faster and cheaper than post-production fixes. But in reality? Shifting left without the right game plan can backfire. Here’s why:

Where Shift Left Falls Short

1. Developer Bias: Developers are great at building features that meet acceptance criteria, but they’re not always trained to spot edge cases or usability quirks. That’s where QA shines.
2. Unit Testing ≠ Comprehensive Testing: Unit tests are great for making sure small pieces of the code work. But they don’t catch system-level problems, weird user workflows, or how the app handles a heavy load.
3. Loss of QA’s Unique Perspective: QA isn’t just about checking code; it’s about testing experiences. QA professionals bring a user-first mindset that ensures the software doesn’t just work—it works well.

So, Is Shift Left the End of QA?

Not at all. Shift left doesn’t kill QA—it reshapes it. Instead of focusing solely on end-to-end (E2E) testing at the final stages, QA teams can:

• Help developers by building test frameworks and tools.
• Review deliverables earlier in the development cycle.
• Still validate the product holistically, ensuring a great user experience.

Shift left is only a blessing when QA is part of the strategy. It’s not about replacing QA; it’s about evolving how QA fits into the process. Get that balance right, and you’ve got the best of both worlds.

The Rise of AI: Threat or Opportunity?

With tools like GitHub Copilot making waves, there’s been a lot of buzz—and a fair bit of panic—about AI taking over jobs. But here’s the bottom line: AI isn’t here to replace QA professionals. Instead, it’s transforming the role, requiring QA experts to adapt, innovate, and leverage these tools to enhance their work.

Far from being a threat, AI presents an opportunity for QA teams to elevate their impact and deliver even greater value. Let’s try and break it down a little:

Why AI Isn’t the End of QA

1. AI Augments, It Doesn’t Replace: Sure, tools like Copilot can generate code or suggest fixes, but they lack the human context QA brings to the table. QA is about understanding user behaviour, anticipating edge cases, and ensuring quality beyond the technical specs—skills AI just doesn’t have.
2. AI Testing Still Needs Humans: AI-generated code can be buggy or lack logical coherence. That means more, not less, robust testing is required. QA professionals play a critical role in validating these systems to make sure they perform in the real world.

3. AI Brings New Opportunities: The rise of AI has opened doors for QA in areas like testing AI models for bias, accuracy, and reliability. These are specialised, high-demand skills that can future-proof QA careers.

Instead of fearing AI, QA teams can use it as a powerful tool to handle repetitive tasks, freeing up time for more complex work like exploratory testing and system integration.

Linking AI and Shift Left: A Balanced Evolution

AI fits right into the conversation about shift left testing. Both trends reflect how QA is evolving—not disappearing.

• Shift Left Needs QA’s Expertise: As teams move testing earlier in development, QA professionals guide developers with frameworks and early-stage reviews.
• AI Supercharges QA: By handling mundane tasks, AI lets QA focus on what really matters: delivering holistic quality and a great user experience.

QA vs. Testing: The Bigger Picture

It’s worth remembering that QA isn’t just testing. Testing finds bugs; QA prevents them. It’s a broader discipline that includes:

• Process Improvement: Building workflows that minimise errors from the start.
• Compliance: Ensuring everything meets industry standards.
• Continuous Integration: Making sure code changes are tested and integrated smoothly.
• Risk Management: Spotting and addressing potential problems early.

QA’s value lies in its preventive approach. Whether it’s shift left strategies, AI tools, or traditional testing, QA adapts to keep quality at the centre of the development process.

The bottom line? AI and shift left aren’t threats—they’re opportunities to rethink and strengthen the role of QA in the tech landscape.

The Role of Manual and Hybrid Testers

Some argue that manual testers are becoming obsolete, replaced by automation or folded into developer roles. However, this oversimplifies the situation:

1. Manual Testing Remains Vital: While automation excels at repetitive tasks, it cannot replicate the creativity and intuition of manual testers. Exploratory testing, usability evaluations, and edge-case scenarios are best tackled manually.
2. The Rise of Hybrid Roles: Many QA professionals are upskilling, learning to code, and transitioning into hybrid roles. They bridge the gap between manual testing and automation, creating efficient, adaptive teams.
3. Collaboration Saves Time: Manual testers provide detailed test cases, enabling automation teams to work faster. This division of labor ensures thorough coverage without overburdening any one team.

Lessons from History

The tech industry's history is littered with examples of companies underestimating QA, only to face the consequences:

• Major System Failures: From airlines to financial systems, high-profile outages often stem from overlooked testing and QA processes.
• Reputation Damage: Negative user experiences caused by bugs can lead to poor reviews, lost customers, and brand erosion.
• Recovery Costs: Fixing issues post-release is exponentially more expensive than catching them during development.

These lessons underline the importance of maintaining robust QA practices, regardless of current trends.

Justifying QA to Management

One common frustration for QA teams is proving their value to sceptical management. Here are some strategies:

1. Compile Defect Reports: Document and quantify the issues caught during QA. Highlight how these prevented downtime, customer complaints, or financial losses.
2. Show ROI: Calculate the cost savings of catching bugs early versus fixing them in production. Emphasise how QA reduces technical debt and accelerates time-to-market.
3. Highlight Collaboration: Explain how QA complements development, ensuring a higher-quality product and fewer post-release emergencies.

The Future of QA: Expansion, Not Extinction

Far from being on its way out, QA is evolving. Here's what the future holds:

1. Shift Left and Right: QA will encompass both early-stage involvement (e.g., reviewing requirements, supporting unit testing) and traditional responsibilities like E2E testing and user acceptance testing.
2. AI Integration: QA professionals will leverage AI to automate mundane tasks, focus on creative problem-solving, and test AI-driven systems.
3. Specialised Roles: New areas like AI model validation, ethical testing, and security testing will create demand for specialised QA expertise.
4. Continuous Learning: As the industry changes, QA professionals must adapt by learning new tools, frameworks, and methodologies.

Conclusion

The claim that QA is dying is not only premature but fundamentally flawed. QA is not disappearing—it’s transforming. The rise of AI, the shift left movement, and the evolving demands of software development are reshaping QA into a more integrated and strategic discipline.

Companies that devalue QA risk repeating the mistakes of the past, exposing themselves to bugs, downtime, and dissatisfied users. Meanwhile, organisations that invest in modern QA practices will enjoy the benefits of higher-quality products, faster releases, and happier customers.

QA professionals must embrace change, upskill, and continue advocating for their indispensable role in software development. The future of QA isn't extinction—it's expansion.

At MRJ Recruitment, we recognise the crucial role that QA and testing play in building successful tech teams. Led by our Senior Consultant, Cameron Whitwam, we specialise in helping companies find top-tier QA talent to ensure their software is reliable, scalable, and user-friendly.

We also believe in nurturing a strong QA community. That’s why we’re excited to announce that our dedicated QA and testing networking event, MCR.TEST, will be returning in full force in 2025. This event provides a valuable platform for professionals to share insights, build connections, and drive the future of quality assurance.

If you're ready to future-proof your QA strategy with the right talent or want to connect with the QA community, MRJ Recruitment is here to help. Reach out to us today, and let’s build something exceptional together.