Testing AI's Promises with Michael Bolton
TestGuild Automation Testing Podcast
Release Date: 05/04/2025
Scaling Mobile Testing Pipelines with Anton Malinski
TestGuild Automation Testing Podcast
Scaling CI/CD for mobile apps is hard. Faster test runs often lead to more tests, more infrastructure, and more complexity. So how do you keep your pipelines healthy and reliable while still shipping at speed? In this episode, we sit down with Anton Malinski of Marathon Labs to explore the real-world lessons he’s learned building and optimizing mobile CI/CD pipelines. You’ll discover: How to scale mobile test automation without introducing friction What “healthy CI growth” looks like in practice Why real devices still matter, even with a massive emulator fleet How backend mocking and...
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How Vibium Could Become the Selenium for AI Testing with Jason Huggins
TestGuild Automation Testing Podcast
In this episode of the TestGuild Automation Podcast, Joe Colantonio sits down with Jason Huggins—the original creator of early versions Selenium, Appium, and Sauce Labs—to discuss his latest project: Vibium. Not sure what tool to use? Try my free Test Tool Matcher now: https://testguild.me/toolmatch Jason describes Vibium as “Selenium for AI,” designed to fix flaky WebDriver tests and leverage AI for smarter, model-based testing. We explore why AI-driven automation is the next wave, how WebDriver BiDi changes the game, and what QA leaders need to know about the rise of “vibe...
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Playwright, Cursor & AI in QA with Ben Fellows
TestGuild Automation Testing Podcast
In this episode of the TestGuild podcast, Joe Colantonio sits down with Ben Fellows, founder of LoopQA and QA thought leader, to explore how AI is reshaping test automation. Ben shares lessons from his popular AI test automation workshops, diving deep into topics like: How AI turns hours of page object coding into minutes Why “augmented coding” beats “vibe coding” for serious QA work Practical ways teams can leverage Cursor, Playwright, and AI to boost productivity What QA leaders need to know about shifting roles, scaling code reviews, and IT security concerns Key trends coming in...
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Balancing Speed and Quality in the AI Era with Jim Trentadue
TestGuild Automation Testing Podcast
In this episode of the TestGuild Podcast, Joe Colantonio chats with veteran QA leader Jim Trentadue about how artificial intelligence is reshaping software testing—and what testers can do to stay ahead. With nearly three decades in the industry, Jim shares hard-earned lessons from his own career, insights into balancing speed and quality in agile teams, and a candid look at AI’s potential risks and rewards for testers. You’ll hear why embracing AI tools, from agentic workflows to prompt engineering, is no longer optional, and why deep testing expertise is still your most valuable asset....
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AI Won’t Replace Great Test Leaders with Mike Lyles
TestGuild Automation Testing Podcast
In the age of AI, the role of software testers is evolving fast. Don't miss the QA Summit: As more repetitive tasks are automated or handled by AI, the testers who will stand out are those who lead, influence, and bring deep subject matter expertise to their teams. In this exclusive replay from a private Automation Guild 2025 monthly gathering, testing leader Mike Lyles shares exactly how to build those skills — and position yourself for long-term success in the AI era. You’ll learn how to expand your leadership influence, strengthen your domain expertise, and future-proof your...
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How to Build a Culture of Comprehensive Quality with Matt Gilbert
TestGuild Automation Testing Podcast
On this episode of the TestGuild Automation Podcast, host Joe Colantonio welcomes Matt Gilbert, founder of Clear Insight, for a conversation packed with practical wisdom for testers looking to break into, or advance in, modern software quality practices. Drawing on his experience working across industries such as insurance, healthcare, and SaaS, Matt shares how he transitioned from an aspiring developer to a passionate advocate for testing. They dive deep into the challenges of uniting disparate testing tools, making complex data from performance, accessibility, and security checks accessible...
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No Scripts, No Frameworks, No Maintenance? with Don Jackson
TestGuild Automation Testing Podcast
In this episode of the TestGuild Automation Podcast, I'm joined by Don Jackson, Technical Evangelist at Perforce, to explore a bold new frontier in automation testing: true agentic AI. We unpack the groundbreaking tech behind Perfecto's latest release and what it means to test smarter, faster, and with zero hassle. Don shares how this new form of automation, powered by natural language, computer vision, and LLMs, lets you test like a human but with the speed of AI. No scripts. No frameworks. No brittle locators. Just plain-language instructions that drive real user-experience testing at...
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Making QE Matter to the C-Suite with Parasar Saha
TestGuild Automation Testing Podcast
In this episode, Parasar Saha founder and CEO of Digy4 shares insights from his journeys across multiple countries, meeting with global enterprises to uncover real-world challenges teams face in achieving quality at scale. The discussion dives into the importance of data visibility, the pitfalls of focusing on the sheer quantity of tests over their real value, and how testers can transform technical data into business outcomes that resonate with the C-suite. Parasar reveals why most organizations struggle with fragmented tools, overwhelming data, and telling a compelling story about quality's...
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Exploring Playwright and MCP with Debbie O'Brien
TestGuild Automation Testing Podcast
In this episode, host Joe Colantonio sits down with Debbie O'Brien, Principal Technical Program Manager at Microsoft and a leading advocate for Playwright end-to-end testing. Debbie shares her fascinating journey from web design in the late '90s to building and nurturing the Playwright community at Microsoft. Together, they tackle the latest and greatest in test automation, with a special focus on Playwright's Model Context Protocol (MCP) server and how you can unlock its powerful AI-driven browser automation capabilities. From real-world advice on overcoming resistance to testing in teams to...
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Solving Challenges in Software Testing with Kristijan Plaushku
TestGuild Automation Testing Podcast
On this episode of the TestGuild Automation Podcast, host Joe Colantonio welcomes Kristijan Plaushku, founder of QA Robots, for a fascinating deep dive into the evolving world of testing and automation. Grab the free Testing Toolkit now: Broadcasting from Italy, Kristijan shares his journey from starting in quality assurance at AS Watson to building his own company, dedicated to reshaping how businesses approach QA, automation, and DevOps integration, with a specific focus on the unique challenges and opportunities within the Italian tech landscape. Together, they explore what it means to...
info_outlineIn today's episode, I continue my conversation with legendary software testing expert Michael Bolton as we explore the world of artificial intelligence and its impact on testing.
Checkout this weeks sponsor: https://testguild.me/ailowcode
I know I tend to have really pro AI testing experts, and I wanted to give another point of view to balance things out. I can't think of anyone more perfect to do that than Michael
So, is AI truly the revolution it's marketed to be?
Listen to hear how Michael cuts through the hype to reveal what these tools really are: probabilistic text generators that often seduce us with their confident-sounding outputs.
You'll discover when AI can be genuinely helpful in testing and when it's likely to lead us astray. Michael shares fascinating examples of AI inconsistencies and explains why the overconfidence these systems project can be dangerously misleading.
Whether you're concerned about AI replacing testers or looking to incorporate these tools into your workflow responsibly, this episode provides the critical thinking framework you need.
Stay tuned for part two of my conversation with Michael Bolton, where we separate AI fact from fiction in the world of software testing.