From myths to models - AI’s evolution and what it means for quality
When people think about AI, they often picture ChatGPT or image generators, but the ideas behind it go back much further. From ancient myths to 20th-century pioneers, humanity has always dreamed of creating thinking machines.
Take Pandora, for example: crafted by Hephaestus, she was the first artificial woman in Greek mythology - beautiful, intelligent, and created at the gods’ request. But opening her box unleashed unforeseen consequences. That story echoes through every era of artificial creation, including ours.
In this talk, we’ll take a rapid journey through AI history, highlighting key turning points and what each meant for how we build and test technology. We’ll explore how AI went from lab curiosity to everyday tool, and how that shift is reshaping the way we work, especially in quality and testing.
Finally, we’ll look ahead. What does an AI-powered world mean for testers? It means testing systems that learn and adapt, where outcomes aren’t always predictable. The key challenge isn’t just code, but understanding and validating behavior shaped by data. In this future, curiosity and critical thinking matter as much as technical skill.
This talk invites you to think critically about your role in a future shaped by AI - because that future is no longer coming. It’s already here. Like Pandora, we’ve opened the box. What escapes is up to us. As testers, we hold a rare position - not just to validate what works, but to question what should.