TestGuild Automation Podcast

Automation Guild turns 10 this year, and the 2026 survey revealed some of the strongest trends and signals the testing community has ever shared. Register now: https://testgld.link/ag26reg In this episode, Joe breaks down the most important insights shaping Automation Guild 2026 and what they mean for testers, automation engineers, and QA leaders. You'll hear why AI-powered testing is dominating every category, why Playwright has officially become the tool testers want most, the challenges that continue to follow teams year after year, and how testers are navigating shrinking teams, faster releases, and rising expectations. This episode gives you a clear, data-driven snapshot of why Automation Guild 2026 matters — and how this year's event is designed to help you stay relevant, sharpen your skills, and tackle the problems that keep slowing down teams. Perfect for anyone considering joining the Guild, planning their 2026 automation strategy, or just trying to make sense of the rapid changes happening in testing today.

Join Sarit Tager, VP of Product for Application Security at Palo Alto Networks, as she discusses the emerging risks of AI-generated code. With a rich developer background, Sarit dives into how vibe coding is changing workflows and the inevitable vulnerabilities AI can introduce. She emphasizes the importance of guardrails, secure prompts, and prioritizing genuine risks over false positives. Sarit also shares insights on balancing security with delivery speed and the evolving role of AI in protecting applications against new attack surfaces.

Discover four essential free tools that empower testers and automation engineers. Learn how to quickly find the right testing tools, assess automation risks, and ensure your site's accessibility. Joe Colantonio showcases a risk calculator that prioritizes testing blind spots and an accessibility scanner offering actionable insights. Plus, assess your team's automation maturity with a quiz designed to enhance performance. These resources streamline decisions and boost your testing effectiveness!

As AI tools like Copilot, Claude, and Cursor start writing more of our code, the biggest challenge isn't generating software — it's trusting it. In this episode, JP (Jayaprabhakar) Kadarkarai, founder of FizzBee, joins Joe Colantonio to explore how autonomous, model-based testing can validate AI-generated software automatically and help teams ship with confidence. FizzBee uses a unique approach that connects design, code, and behavior into one continuous feedback loop — automatically testing for concurrency issues and validating that your implementation matches your intent. You'll discover: Why AI-generated code can't be trusted without validation How model-based testing works and why it's crucial for AI-driven development The difference between example-based and property-based testing How FizzBee detects concurrency bugs without intrusive tracing Why autonomous testing is becoming mandatory for the AI era Whether you're a software tester, DevOps engineer, or automation architect, this conversation will change how you think about testing in the age of AI-generated code.

In this Halloween special, Joe Colantonio and Paul Grossman discuss the evolution of automation testing, focusing on the integration of AI tools, project management strategies, and the importance of custom logging. Paul shares insights from his recent job experience, detailing how he inherited a project and the challenges he faced. Paul also goes over his Optimus Prime framework and uses it to explore various automation tools, the significance of dynamic waiting, and how to handle test case collisions. The discussion also highlights the role of AI in enhancing automation frameworks and the importance of version control in software development.

Vasusen Patil, Co-founder and CEO of Donobu, brings a wealth of experience from his engineering roots and automation leadership at Coursera. He introduces "Vibe Testing," an AI-driven method that allows Playwright tests to adapt and self-heal from UI changes intelligently. Discover how this approach minimizes flakiness, enhances tester control, and combines visual assertions with contextual understanding. Vasusen also shares insights on balancing automation with human oversight and the philosophy behind Donobu's local-first model.

In this engaging discussion, Naeem Malik, a seasoned test automation engineer with 15 years of experience, dives into the powerful capabilities of Playwright. He reveals how it unifies UI and API testing, drastically improving test reliability and speed. Discover techniques to simplify test maintenance, leverage API requests for efficient setups, and create hybrid tests that validate both front-end and back-end seamlessly. Naeem's practical insights will change how teams approach testing, making high-quality applications more achievable.

Are your tests falling behind your requirements? Check out our new AI Requirement course here: https://testguild.me/aireqcourse In this special highlight episode, Joe Colantonio shares lessons from a new course created with Keysight: Turning Requirements into Reliable Tests with AI-Augmented Design. You'll hear from AI strategist Noelle Russell, Keysight's Chief AI Officer Jonathon Wright, and product expert Ian Sharp as they explore: Why responsible AI is like raising a baby tiger — exciting but dangerous if ignored. The hidden costs of manual test design and why happy-path testing isn't enough. How AI-powered tools like Keysight Generator transform natural language requirements into reliable, traceable test cases in minutes. If you're a tester, automation engineer, or QA leader looking to cut weeks of manual scripting, improve coverage, and finally align tests with real requirements — this episode is for you. Check out the full Keysight course here: https://testguild.me/aireqcourse Become one of our Automation Guild 2026 speakers: https://testguild.me/agspeak

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 dedicated mobile API gateways transform shift-left testing Practical advice for teams evolving from weekly releases to on-every-commit confidence Whether you're a QA leader, automation engineer, or DevOps practitioner, this conversation gives you the insights and metrics you need to take your mobile testing pipelines to the next level.

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 coding." If you've been wondering what comes after Selenium and Playwright, this is a must-listen. Get insider insights from the creator who helped shape modern testing—and is now building its AI-powered future.