Rising Influence of ChatGPT on Software Testing

ImpactQA
5 min readJul 21, 2023

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The ChatGPT chatbot is at the forefront of these talks about artificial intelligence, which are now taking place all over the world. This AI model has become quite well-liked and well-known inside the sector. The fastest-growing online platform, ChatGPT, attracted an incredible one million users in just one week after its launch.

ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, is a highly adaptable conversational software based on GPT, a machine-learning technology that generates human-like text. It learns from vast data to predict and create coherent responses. Among its many functionalities, it excels in crafting research papers and generating Selenium test code. This exceptional adaptability has rendered it an indispensable asset in software development life cycles (SDLC), significantly expediting testing processes.

The key to ChatGPT’s prowess lies in Large Language Models (LLMs), a subset of AI that leverages deep learning techniques and extensive data training. By harnessing this vast data, ChatGPT can generate infinite results across a broad spectrum of topics.

How an Advance Chatbot like ChatGPT Can Enhance Software Testing?

We are in a competitive world where speed with accuracy can be a lethal combination for modern enterprises to stay ahead of the curve. By utilizing the capabilities of ChatGPT, software testing companies can accelerate the overall testing process. From test case creation to documenting them, OpenAI’s unique product can enhance your overall productivity to the sky and above.

This will help your QA (Quality Assurance) team to focus on the core tasks that need their solid attention. Some major highlights of adopting ChatGPT for software quality assurance:

  • Uncover defects faster
  • Take necessary actions on time
  • Reduce costly delays

Following an effective and relevant implementation approach can significantly reduce manual work. With ChatGPT, quality assurance companies can speed up test coverage without losing operational efficiency.

Few ways software testers can use this tool:

Script Generator

As an advanced generative chatbot trained with a massive amount of data, ChatGPT proved to be very helpful in generating test scripts. For instance, while doing performance testing of a web application using LoadRunner, ChatGPT can help the QA team to generate LoadRunner test scripts in a few seconds.

However, the generated outcome should continually be reviewed by professionals. To check whether it matches your present requirements or not.

Cut Down Efforts

Automation has come up as a proven solution for reducing manual efforts, but it still requires expert review for accuracy. With the addition of ChatGPT in the toolkit, testers can leverage the power of AI to accelerate software testing and reduce efforts.

There are still a lot of improvement areas for ChatGPT, as right now, it’s only in the initial phase, and we will see more AI and NLP (natural language processing) improvements in the near future.

Types of Testing with ChatGPT

So far, we have been discussing the implementation benefits of ChatGPT in testing. Now let’s discover the different types of testing that can be performed with ChatGPT.

Unit Testing

Testers can incorporate ChatGPT at the front end to work on languages such as JavaScript, Python, Swift, and others that need generating syntax for constructing test cases.

API Testing

ChatGPT might be used to generate frameworks like Postman or to write test scripts for APIs using familiar languages like NodeJS, Java, Python, and so on.

Mobile Testing

ChatGPT has the capability to assist in developing test scripts for prominent test frameworks such as Appium. These test scripts can then be utilized to conduct comprehensive testing of applications built on various programming languages like Swift, Java, and more.

Integration Testing

By leveraging ChatGPT alongside technologies like Selenium, it becomes possible to generate test scripts that facilitate integration testing. These scripts provide support for various markup languages such as HTML, CSS, and more.

End-to-End Testing

When performing end-to-end testing, testers in collaboration with ChatGPT can generate test scripts for frameworks for effective testing scenarios.

Challenges Associated with ChatGPT in Software Testing

Solely relying on ChatGPT’s output to automate tests and generate test cases can lead to performance hazards. As a result of ChatGPT’s engagement in software testing, several discrepancies may be raised.

Here are some of the critical problems associated with ChatGPT in software testing:

1. Limited Agility

It eventually limits the ability to modify because it is a pre-trained tool that cannot adjust to client needs for every individual test environment. Furthermore, it eliminates the ability to automate the testing.

2. Inadequate Contextual Understanding

Another major challenge that ChatGPT brings to software testing companies is its inability to grasp the context or purpose, which might lead to inaccurate outcomes or results.

3. Limited Scope for Test Case Creation

The inputs provided to ChatGPT are of utmost importance in test case generation, as they directly influence the output or outcome. If the inputs are not relevant or comprehensive, it can impact the system’s overall quality. Thus, depending on ChatGPT for edgy cases which require strong critical understanding can be a big gamble.

4. Control Over Test Environment

ChatGPT was initially designed to power human-like conversations and communication through AI and machine learning. However, the data fed to its algorithms drive the tool’s potential to code. But being an external tool, it runs independently of any test initiatives or integrations, which cuts the control over the test environment and even the scope of simulating the test conditions. Ultimately, it leads to factual mistakes or errors in the training data.

5. Limited Execution

Due to its lack of understanding of code structure, ChatGPT cannot directly execute tests. Its role is limited to providing suggestions for test execution, while the responsibility of implementing and evaluating the tests falls entirely on the users.

But, with each update and release, makers of ChatGPT increase its precision more and more. Creating it an ideal tool for software testers to streamline the entire process. Leading to a path where artificial intelligence and QA engineers work parallelly and reassure quality from every aspect.

The integration of AI into our lives and software testing marks a momentous achievement, promising improved testing efficiency, consistency, and coverage. Yet, as we explore this uncharted territory, it is crucial to strike a balance between the excitement of innovation and the recognition of legitimate concerns.

Originally published at https://www.impactqa.com on July 21, 2023.

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ImpactQA
ImpactQA

Written by ImpactQA

Leading Quality Assurance & Software Testing Company. #QAconsulting #testing #automation #performance #QA #security #Agile #DevOps #API #consulting

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