Name: Test Transcendence and the AI Apocalypse | Toronto Meetup
Start: 2026-02-04T23:00:00.000Z
Location: 125 East Liberty Street, Toronto, ON

In-person Washington meetup for QA leaders and engineers on building a modern QA organization with distributed governance and guardrails for AI-driven delivery.

**The Test Tribe 2nd Washington Meetup – Designing a Modern QA Organization: Structure, Skills, and Shared Ownership**

AI is accelerating software delivery at an unprecedented pace-but speed without structure introduces serious risk.
In today’s landscape, the traditional “testing bottleneck” isn’t just a delay-it’s a business liability.

This session explores how Quality Engineering must evolve from a siloed function into a strategic, distributed capability-one that balances rapid AI adoption with strong human oversight. Moving beyond basic automation, this talk introduces the concept of Distributed Quality Governance, where quality becomes a shared responsibility across engineering, product, and leadership.

Expect a practical, leadership-focused discussion that cuts through AI hype and addresses the real challenges of testing complex, AI-assisted systems-while ensuring accountability, trust, and long-term resilience.

**Event Details**

* **Date: 21st January 2026 (Wednesday)**
* **Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM EDT**
* **Location: 1501 Langston Blvd. Arlington, Virginia**

**Session: Designing a Modern QA Organization: Structure, Skills, and Shared Ownership**
**Speaker: Alekhya Guduri**

**About the Session**
In an era where AI-generated code is accelerating delivery, quality can no longer be treated as a final checkpoint. Instead, it must be embedded, intentional, and governed.
In this session, Alekhya Guduri presents a blueprint for building a modern QA organization that operates as a strategic business function. You’ll learn how to shift from centralized testing teams to shared ownership models, while introducing guardrails that ensure responsible AI use across the delivery pipeline.

From defining a Materiality Matrix to identify where AI risks are too high to ignore, to implementing Human-in-the-Loop frameworks, this talk provides actionable guidance for leaders navigating AI-driven engineering environments.

**Key Takeaways**

* The Materiality Matrix: How to objectively prioritize AI risks based on business impact and technical complexity
* Distributed Governance: Transitioning from centralized QA to shared ownership in AI-driven CI/CD pipelines
* Responsible AI Guardrails: Practical Human-in-the-Loop frameworks to prevent bias, hallucinations, and silent failures

**About the Speaker**
Alekhya Guduri is a seasoned technology leader whose career sits at the intersection of engineering execution, operational excellence, and innovation.
As Director of Engineering at Indeed, she focuses on building high-performing organizations that treat quality as a strategic advantage, not a last-mile activity. With deep experience scaling complex systems and leading cross-functional teams, Alekhya works at the forefront of shaping how AI and human judgment coexist within modern software delivery.

She is a strong advocate for distributed governance, responsible AI practices, and the evolution of Quality Engineering into a trusted business partnership.

**Why You Should Attend**

* Learn how to design QA organizations for AI-driven delivery
* Understand how to balance speed with responsibility in modern pipelines
* Gain leadership frameworks for shared ownership of quality
* Move beyond AI hype to practical, defensible testing strategies
* Connect with Washington-area QA, engineering, and tech leaders

**About The Test Tribe**
**The Test Tribe** is the world’s largest software testing community, empowering testers globally since 2018. With 7**00+ events** and **150K+ members** across **130+ countries**, we bring testers together to learn, grow, and connect through meetups, conferences, cohorts, masterclasses, and more.

By RSVPing, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy and consent to be contacted by The Test Tribe and our event partners.

The Test Tribe Washington | Testers and QA Meetups

TheTestTribe

Allyson Smith

Marrio Pearson

Designing a Modern QA Organization | Washington Meetup

1501 Langston Blvd., Arlington, VA 22209, USA

AI is rapidly becoming part of everyday engineering workflows-but what does it look like when it’s applied inside large-scale, real-world product teams? Beyond demos and experiments, how does AI actually help teams move faster, improve quality, and make better decisions?
In this session, we go behind the scenes with the Azure DevOps team at Microsoft to explore how AI is being used in practice today-where it delivers clear value, where it still falls short, and what’s coming next.

**Event Details**

* Date: Wednesday, 21st January 2026
* Time: 5:45 PM – 8:30 PM MT
* Venue: InceptionU - 800 3 St SE, 3rd Floor, Calgary, AB T2G 0E7

**Session:** How Microsoft Product Teams Leverage AI in Testing (and Beyond)
**Speaker:** David Paquette, Principal Software Engineer

In this talk, David Paquette shares how engineers on the Azure DevOps team are leveraging AI to improve software quality and accelerate delivery.

You’ll learn:

* How AI is being applied across testing and engineering workflows
* New and upcoming AI-powered features currently in development
* Where AI is genuinely helping teams today
* Where AI isn’t helping yet-and why

This is an honest, practitioner-led look at AI in action inside one of the world’s most widely used developer platforms-focused on lessons learned, real trade-offs, and practical outcomes.

**Key Takeaways**

* How large product teams use AI to improve testing and quality
* Practical examples of AI-enabled workflows inside Azure DevOps
* Clear insight into AI’s current limitations in real engineering environments
* A realistic view of how AI helps teams move faster-beyond hype

**About the Speaker**
David Paquette is a Principal Software Engineer at Microsoft, working on the Azure DevOps team. Before joining Microsoft, Dave spent over a decade building software for financial, agricultural, and energy companies, specializing in .NET and web development. His experience spans building scalable systems, improving developer workflows, and delivering reliable software at scale.

David brings a pragmatic, engineering-first perspective on AI-focused on what actually works in production environments.
🔗 LinkedIn:[ https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-paquette-a7997b7/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-paquette-a7997b7/)

**Why You Should Attend**

* Learn how AI is used inside real Microsoft product teams
* Understand where AI adds value-and where it doesn’t (yet)
* Get insights directly from an Azure DevOps engineer
* See beyond demos to real-world engineering trade-offs
* Connect with Calgary’s QA, testing, and developer community

**About The Test Tribe**
The Test Tribe is the world’s largest software testing community, empowering testers globally since 2018. With 700+ events and 150K+ members across 130+ countries, we bring testers together to learn, grow, and connect through meetups, conferences, cohorts, masterclasses, and more.

By RSVPing, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy and consent to be contacted by The Test Tribe and our event partners.

The Test Tribe Calgary

Kate Bazunova

Anna Kumova

Lavanya Mohan

Luis Andrade

Vaishali Mittal

Natalie

Andrii Bazhura

Fareen

Olena Petrusha

Susannie Vhil Tiempo

Wander

Asha Fazis

Morozko

Oksana A

Nidhay

David Paquette

Dang Duong

athiraapnair

How Microsoft Product Teams Leverage AI in Testing (and Beyond)

InceptionU

Chicago QA professionals; a meetup on AI agents as teammates in quality engineering, with practical guidance for integrating agents into QA workflows.

## The Test Tribe 3rd Chicago Meetup – Beyond Autocomplete: AI Agents as Teammates in Quality Engineering

AI in testing has moved far beyond autocomplete and code suggestions. Today, **AI agents** can reason, collaborate, and take action across the quality engineering lifecycle — from test design to execution, analysis, and maintenance.
But where do these agents *actually* fit in real-world QA teams? What works in production? What breaks? And what’s still messy?
In this candid and practical session, **Dan Snell** explores how AI agents can operate as **true teammates** in Quality Engineering - not as magic tools, but as collaborators that augment human expertise. Expect honest insights, real examples, and lessons learned from hands-on experience.

Event Details
📅 Date: 27th January 2026 (Monday)
🕕 Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Local Time)
🏢 Venue: Association Forum 209
10 S Riverside Plaza #800, Chicago, IL 60606, United States

## Session: Beyond Autocomplete — Using AI Agents as Teammates in Quality Engineering

Speaker: Dan Snell

Key Takeaways

* How AI agents can think, collaborate, and act across the testing lifecycle
* Where agents genuinely fit into real QA workflows (not just demos)
* What works today, what breaks in practice, and what remains unsolved
* How to approach agent adoption with realistic expectations

About the speaker
Dan Snell is an engineering leader and quality advocate with deep experience exploring how emerging technologies can elevate software quality. Known for his pragmatic approach, Dan focuses on applying AI in ways that deliver real value—balancing innovation with engineering discipline.
He is passionate about helping teams move beyond hype to adopt tools and practices that improve quality, collaboration, and delivery outcomes.

Why You Should Attend

* Learn how AI agents can realistically support QA teams today
* Gain clarity on agent-based testing beyond marketing demos
* Hear honest lessons from real-world experimentation
* Connect with Chicago’s growing QA and testing community
* Be part of The Test Tribe’s 3rd Chicago Meetup

About The Test Tribe

**The Test Tribe** is the world’s largest software testing community, empowering testers globally since 2018. With **700+ events** and **150K+ members** across **130+ countries**, we bring testers together to learn, grow, and connect through meetups, conferences, cohorts, masterclasses, and more.

By RSVPing, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy and consent to be contacted by The Test Tribe and our event partners.

The Test Tribe Chicago

Tetiana Igushkina

raahulbharath

Paul Goodchild

Rajesh Mascarenhas

Abe Dalisky

Gia Liu

Rad Dude

Dave

Xinjiang Shao

Beyond Autocomplete: AI Agents as QA Teammates | Chicago Meetup

10 S Riverside Plaza, Chicago, IL 60606

Talk for QA testers on risk-based testing in AI era, with practical guidance on how AI strengthens risk analysis and early risk detection for better coverage.

**Risk-Based Testing in the Age of AI: What Changes, What Doesn’t**

AI is accelerating how software is built-but it doesn’t change the fundamentals of good testing.

In fact, it makes them more important than ever.
Risk-based testing has long been a proven approach for delivering value under real-world constraints. In this session, Jess Ingrassellino explores how AI and automation align naturally with risk-based testing-not as replacements for strong testing practices, but as powerful force multipliers.

As development speed increases dramatically with AI tooling, testers must be even more deliberate about identifying risk early, communicating it clearly, and making informed decisions about what will and will not be tested. This talk focuses on how AI can strengthen each stage of that process-while keeping human judgment firmly at the center.

Expect a practical, grounded discussion that separates real value from hype and shows how AI can support smarter, more intentional testing.

**Event Details**

* **Date: 28th January 2026 (Wednesday)**
* **Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Local Time)**
* **Venue: 307 W 38th St, Studio 1401, New York, NY 10018, US**A

**Session: Risk-Based Testing in the Age of AI: What Changes, What Doesn’t**
**Speaker: Jess Ingrassellino**

**Key Takeaways**

* Why risk-based testing remains essential-even in AI-accelerated teams
* How AI strengthens (not replaces) strong testing fundamentals
* Ways AI can help identify, document, and communicate risk earlier
* Practical examples of AI-assisted test data generation and coverage analysis
* How AI supports exploratory testing and evolving risk models
* Where human judgment remains irreplaceable in quality decisions

**About the Speaker**
Jess Ingrassellino is a leader, educator, and musician driven by a passion for growth, creativity, and meaningful change. Her career spans technology, education, and the arts-each grounded in a belief in lifelong learning and equitable impact.

She holds four advanced degrees, including a Doctorate in Educational Assessment, and is currently pursuing her fifth degree in Software Engineering. As an engineering leader, Jess specializes in building high-impact teams, solving complex problems, and driving strategic initiatives.
As an educator, she has developed curricula, taught Python to students aged 8–18, and trained teachers to integrate technology in thoughtful, inclusive ways. As a professional violinist, she uses music as a medium for reflection and connection.

Across all her work, Jess is committed to authenticity, equity, and helping individuals and organizations grow with intention.

**Why You Should Attend**

* Learn how AI enhances risk-based testing without undermining fundamentals
* Gain clarity on where AI adds real value in QA workflows
* See how to balance speed, coverage, and quality in AI-accelerated teams
* Hear a thoughtful, experience-driven perspective-free from hype
* Connect with New York’s QA and testing community at the 5th NYC meetup

**About The Test Tribe**

**The Test Tribe** is the world’s largest software testing community, empowering testers globally since 2018. With 7**00+ events** and **150K+ members** across **130+ countries**, we bring testers together to learn, grow, and connect through meetups, conferences, cohorts, masterclasses, and more.

By RSVPing, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy and consent to be contacted by The Test Tribe and our event partners.

The Test Tribe New York | Testers and QA Meetups

Milly

Mike Pham

Sadhir Razaak Nazer 

rlarisa1818

Moiz Ahmed

Liz W

Fausto

Raja Shiva Ram Patel

Daniel L

Gigi Gilsinan

sarthak patnaik

Alexandra Li

Siddharth Dua

Risk Based Testing in the Age of AI | New York Meetup

307 West 38th Street, New York, NY 10018, studio 1401

**​The Test Tribe 11th Toronto Meetup**
​
Agentic, generative, and evocative AI is no longer a passing trend-it’s reshaping how software is built, delivered, and trusted. As AI systems become more autonomous, opaque, and influential, the risks extend far beyond bugs and failures. They reach into ethics, bias, accountability, and societal trust.
​In this powerful and provocative keynote, Robert Sabourin challenges testers to rethink their role in an AI-driven world. Testing is no longer just a technical activity-it is an act of social responsibility. As guardians of risk, uncertainty, and quality, testers are uniquely positioned to protect not just products, but people and institutions.
​This is not a talk about fear-it’s a wake-up call, and an invitation to rise.

## ​Event Details

​📅 Date: 4th February 2026 (Wednesday)
🕕 Time: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM EST
🏢 Location: 125 E Liberty St, Toronto
🗺️ Google Maps:[ https://maps.app.goo.gl/mwJf4zRSkXQa2v9w5](https://maps.app.goo.gl/mwJf4zRSkXQa2v9w5)

## ​Session: Test Transcendence and the AI Apocalypse

​Speaker: Robert Sabourin

## ​About the Session

​AI is redefining what we mean by *products*, *services*, and even *decision-making itself*. Its promise of speed and intelligence is intoxicating-but beneath it lies a rapidly growing landscape of risk.
​In this keynote, Robert Sabourin explores how software testing becomes a critical line of defense in an era where autonomy, bias, and opacity threaten trust itself. Drawing from decades of real-world experience, Rob brings these ideas to life through compelling stories, case studies, and pragmatic strategies for testing agentic and generative AI systems.
​This is a high-energy, reality-grounded session that goes beyond tools and techniques. It’s about purpose.
​As AI systems grow more powerful, testers must transcend traditional roles. The future demands professionals who can model risk, navigate uncertainty, and communicate value to leaders, regulators, and society at large.
​The apocalypse is not a prophecy-it’s a call to action.

## ​Key Takeaways

* ​Understand how AI is redefining risk, quality, and assurance in modern socio-technical systems
* ​Recognize the ethical and social responsibility of testing in an AI-driven world
* ​Learn concrete strategies for testing agentic and generative AI responsibly
* ​Discover how testers can evolve from defect finders to trusted advisors and change agents
* ​Leave inspired by decades of practical wisdom-and the belief that testing can truly make a positive impact

## ​About the Speaker

​Robert Sabourin has over four decades of experience in software engineering and testing. A globally respected educator, consultant, and keynote speaker, Rob is known for his energetic, story-driven, and deeply thought-provoking presentations.
​He bridges technical excellence with human insight, helping teams around the world elevate quality, accountability, and trust in the software systems that increasingly shape our lives. His work consistently challenges professionals to think bigger-not just about systems, but about their responsibility to society.

## ​Why You Should Attend

* ​Gain a rare, big-picture perspective on AI, risk, and trust
* ​Learn how testing intersects with ethics, governance, and societal impact
* ​Be inspired to elevate your role in an AI-first world
* ​Hear from one of the most respected voices in global testing
* ​Connect with Toronto’s QA and tech community at the 11th Toronto Meetup

## ​About The Test Tribe

​The Test Tribe is the world’s largest software testing community, empowering testers globally since 2018. With 700+ events and 150K+ members across 130+ countries, we bring testers together to learn, grow, and connect through meetups, conferences, cohorts, masterclasses, and more.
​By RSVPing, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy and consent to be contacted by The Test Tribe and our event partners.

The Test Tribe Toronto

Anastasia Vitchenko

Ivanna

Andrej Ristic

J link

rityabraham

Nebojsa

Greg K

Vladimir Arango

Jebaraj Isaac

Test Transcendence and the AI Apocalypse | Toronto Meetup

125 East Liberty Street, Toronto, ON

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