Beyond the Hype: Level up your AI game as a Tester

We've been here before. Manual testing gave way to automation, and the Testers who adapted thrived. AI is that moment again, and it's moving faster.
If you've ever thought "there's so much going on with AI right now, I don't know where to start" or "I'm using it a bit but what's actually next?", this session is built for you.

This is for Testers/ QA/ QE engineers and Leads at every stage of the journey, whether you just got sign-off to try an AI tool or you're already using one to write your e2e tests. We'll make the case for why QE judgment matters more than ever in a world of non-deterministic software, and walk through a practical five-level framework for getting AI working in your day-to-day.
Then we roll up our sleeves.

Format
A short talk talk followed by a hands-on workshop where we'll brainstorm real use cases together. The workshop is structured so you can contribute at whatever level you're at. If you've never used an AI tool for testing, you'll leave with your first concrete use case. If you're already automating with AI, we'll push into the harder problems.

What you'll take away
A clear next step to "where do I actually start?" You'll leave with a working mental model for what good AI-assisted testing looks like at each stage of maturity, and at least one thing you can try the next day.

Agenda
5:00 PM – Doors open
Drinks, nibbles & networking (thanks to Aurorl)
5:30 PM – Talk
6:00 PM – Open Q&A
6:15 PM – Workshop
7:00 PM onwards – More networking

About Francis Ho
Francis is the Director of Engineering at Auror, a New Zealand-born platform helping retailers prevent crime and make stores safer for the people who work and shop in them.

He started his career as a developer, switched to testing because he found it more fun, and has spent the years since working across healthcare, fintech, big data, and retail crime intelligence.

Over the last year he has been working with the engineering teams including QEs to actually adopt AI tools in their day to day, figuring out what sticks and what gaps it creates. This talk is built on that experience.

Who Should Attend

• Testers & QA professionals
• Developers & product teams
• Anyone interested in better software and better thinking

Community Vibe
This is a relaxed, friendly, and inclusive community event.
Come along to learn, connect, and be part of the conversation!