Beyond Scripts: The Future Of Software Quality At #StarWest
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Dive into the next evolution of software quality as #StarWest redefines how companies achieve excellence beyond traditional test scripts.
Unlocking the Next Generation of Software Quality Testing
The software industry has long lived in a paradox. We invest in automation to accelerate delivery, yet we drown in the fragility of scripts. We chase test coverage, yet quality assurance remains a bottleneck. We demand agility, yet our testing tools are static, brittle, and reactive.
At #StarWest 2025, Don Jackson of Perforce put it bluntly: that era is over. The age of scripted testing has ended. What comes next is Execution Agentic AI. Instead of generating scripts, testers define objectives. At runtime, the AI interprets those objectives, dynamically adapting to what the application presents.
Adapting to Change: The #DevSecOps Revolution in Software Quality Assurance
Automation has always been about speed. But in chasing speed, we often sacrificed resilience. Execution Agentic AI reframes the conversation: Resilience over Fragility, Adaptation over Maintenance, and Value over Volume. This shift has massive implications. SQA evolves from script maintenance to risk navigation. Development gains true continuous feedback, not brittle signals.
Perforce’s broader message is clear. DevOps has matured, pipelines are automated, releases are frequent, and infrastructure is elastic. But Quality teams often lag behind, tethered to outdated models. Perfecto AI represents a step-change. It embeds intelligence into the quality layer of DevOps, making testing an equal partner in speed and resilience.
Automation, AI, and the Human Touch: Striking the Perfect Balance
Most test automation solutions today follow a predictable path: A tester writes in natural language what they want to test. The tool converts that request into a script. At runtime, the script executes — unless the application has changed, at which point it fails. This approach has a fatal flaw. Applications always change.
Perfecto AI, powered by Perforce, breaks this cycle. It doesn’t chase static locators. It understands the intent. This is more than efficiency. It’s a new philosophy for quality. As Don put it in his session: 'It’s not about writing tests that pass. It’s about ensuring objectives are achieved, regardless of change.'
Quality at Scale: Building Resilient SQA Practices for Tomorrow
In his StarWest demo, Don Jackson illustrated the power of this approach: Cross-Platform Consistency, Dynamic UX Comparisons, Accessibility Checks, and Concurrent Scaling. The point wasn’t just the features. It was the principle: quality can now adapt as quickly as code.
Execution Agentic AI ensures that tests don’t crumble with every release. It handles system evolution in real time, and quality is measured by confidence delivered, not scripts executed. This paradigm shift empowers teams to focus on strategic risk navigation rather than getting bogged down with the fragility of scripts.
Shaping the Future: Insights and Innovations from #StarWest
Don Jackson’s presentation at StarWest 2025 highlighted the transformative potential of Execution Agentic AI. Perfecto AI by Perforce eliminates the need for brittle scripts and manual interventions. By defining objectives rather than writing scripts, teams can ensure that software delivers the intended outcomes in a dynamic and adaptable manner.
Perforce’s vision, brought to life through Don Jackson’s demo and presentation, is unapologetically bold: Manual testing is dead. Script-based automation is obsolete. Execution-based intelligence is the new baseline. This shift isn’t about replacing testers; it’s about liberating them from the churn of script maintenance so they can focus on what matters most: ensuring that software delivers the outcomes the business and users need.
