Written by Deniz Ölmez
AI is moving deeper into processes that once relied entirely on human judgement – loan decisions, patient triage, hiring shortlists, insurance claims. In many organisations, these systems run quietly in the background, making thousands of micro-decisions every minute. And yet, the questions we hear from teams are surprisingly human: Does the system treat everyone fairly? Would people understand why a decision was made? What happens when it gets something wrong?
At the 2026 Swiss Testing Day sessions, a theme emerges again and again: modern QA must stretch beyond models, metrics, and pipelines. Testers increasingly find themselves in conversations about responsibility, inclusion, and trust. It is no longer enough to validate that a model works – we need to understand for whom it works, and for whom it doesn’t.
Human-centred AI testing starts in a simple place: with people’s lived experience. Teams begin by mapping the stakes of a system – who is affected, what a failure feels like, which edge cases matter most. These conversations often reveal that the highest risks aren’t technical ones, but human ones: a rejected application, a misinterpreted symptom, a user who feels judged by an opaque algorithm.
From there, the testing strategy expands naturally. Fairness becomes something we can explore through representative scenarios instead of abstract metrics. Transparency becomes a usability question – can an explanation actually help someone, or does it create more confusion? And “human oversight” becomes less about checkboxes and more about designing workflows where people can meaningfully intervene.
What stands out in teams that embrace this mindset is not just improved test coverage, but a deeper sense of purpose. Testers rediscover their role as advocates for the user – sometimes even the only person in the room asking, “How does this decision feel on the other side?”
Human-centred testing does not replace traditional QA. It enriches it. And as AI continues to shape high-stakes decisions, it may become the difference between a system that works – and a system that genuinely deserves to be trusted.
Join Us at Swiss Testing Day 2026
Curious about how to bring AI into your testing processes? Join us on March 26th in Zurich for the Swiss Testing Day 2026! This is your chance to connect with industry leaders, share insights, and explore innovative solutions shaping the future of software testing.
Whether you’re an experienced tester or just starting out, there’s something for everyone. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to network with professionals who are just as passionate about quality assurance as you are.
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