'My bad' doesn't cut it in our world

Research conducted by SQS in the United Kingdom has shown that people are afraid of robots malfunctioning and turning against humanity. The British participants in the survey were also afraid of hackers taking control of self-driving cars and household robots. Many people also have the idea that robots destroy jobs. (We could also test that by means of a survey in the auditorium. One remarkable detail from the survey is that people who are informed about the situation are more afraid than people with little knowledge of automation, ed.)

Technology has become an integral part of society. Many aspects of daily life are so fast and convenient that they create enormous expectations for new products and services.

We as professionals also face issues pertaining to public perceptions and expectations. Quality is the number-one priority when it comes to automating processes via test automation.  Errors and malfunctions can quickly destroy any trust the public has in artificial intelligence, robotics or virtual reality.  When we do not properly manage the public’s concerns and expectations, we will not be able to achieve the potential benefits that all of this progress could bring. So how can we do that in our day-to-day work? Guilds are one excellent example of test automation and our internal approach. Professionals with shared interests can learn from one another about issues pertaining to a specific theme. Their intrinsic motivation can help us to manage ‘concerns and expectations’ in a safe, effective manner.