The QA role is quietly transforming from testing interfaces to evaluating agent behavior and reasoning. Instead of pass/fail scripts, testers now focus on behavior coverage, feedback loops, and system observability. Quality is no longer just about functionality — it’s about understanding why an AI system acted the way it did.

We’re watching job roles bend, blur, and rewire themselves in real time.

  • Product Managers are becoming app builders.
  • Solution Architects are turning into full-stack developers.
  • BizOps and DevOps teams are stitching systems together like engineers.
  • Specialized engineers are rapidly evolving into full-stack engineers(expanding their scope to include not just frontend and backend, but also AI, ML, and data science — blurring the lines between traditional software and intelligent systems development)

So it got me thinking:

How are QA professionals adapting to the rise of Agentic Systems? In a world where autonomous agents are writing code, making decisions, and sometimes hallucinating with confidence — where does traditional QA fit?

The role of a tester is undergoing its own quiet revolution.

•	Testing logic, not just layout You’re no longer validating buttons and flows — you’re evaluating reasoning. Did the agent act with intention? Was the output contextually sound?

•	From test coverage to behavior coverage Traditional test cases fall short when behavior is emergent and data-dependent. Testing now means tracing decisions, validating logic paths, and spotting inconsistencies.

•	Observability becomes central to quality It’s no longer just about pass/fail — it’s about patterns, drift, and outcomes. Feedback loops, usage signals, and behavioral insights are the new unit tests.
•	From scripts to systems thinking

Quality now includes: • Monitoring long-term performance shifts • Capturing user feedback as reinforcement data • Diagnosing regression in reasoning, not just functionality

If you’re in QA and you’re still testing like it’s 2020, I’d be concerned.

I’m working through a framework and a toolkit specifically for QA teams entering the Agentic SDLC. If you’re navigating this shift (or coaching a team that is), let’s connect. I’d love to co-create what the future of Agent Assurance could look like — with you. • What tools are you picking up? • What new heuristics are you developing? • Are you rethinking how quality is even defined?

Drop a comment or DM.

#AIMusings hashtag#AIQA hashtag#SDLC

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