{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Vernon Richard Show","title":"Six Principles of Automation in Testing: Still Relevant in 2026?","html":"<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"180\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https://share.transistor.fm/e/c72de091\"></iframe>","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3797,"description":"In this episode, Richard Bradshaw and Vernon discuss the relevance and application of the six principles of automation in testing in the context of AI advancements. They explore how these principles hold up in 2026, the challenges faced in automation, and the future of testing strategies.\n\n\n00:00 - Intro\n01:47 - Welcome (Richard is not at home 👀)\n02:07 - Ramadan, cooking without tasting, and plastic teeth 🦷\n04:01 - Today's topic: revisiting the AiT principles ahead of a keynote\n04:58 - What is Automation in Testing (AiT)?\n06:49 - Principle 1: Supporting Testing over Replicating Testing\n07:01 - Vernon's take: testing is a performance, not a click sequence\n08:22 - What the industry promised vs what automation actually does\n08:49 - The serendipity you lose when a human isn't testing\n09:59 - Agentic testing: observing more, but still not replicating humans\n10:56 - The danger of anthropomorphising AI output\n12:10 - LLMs always give an answer — and that's the problem\n13:03 - Principle 2: Testability over Automatability\n13:14 - Vernon's take: narrow vs broad — operate, control, observe\n14:38 - Making apps automatable for the robots but not the humans\n15:37 - The shiniest framework in a broken testing context\n16:40 - If it's testable, it's probably automatable — but not vice versa\n16:55 - Automation strategy vs testing strategy: when they compete, everyone loses\n17:46 - The problem has always been testing, not automation\n19:57 - Principle 3: Testing Expertise over Coding Expertise\n20:18 - Vernon's take: testing expertise lets you leverage the tools\n21:47 - The spoonfed tests problem: great at automating, lost without guidance\n22:36 - The \"code school\" era: everyone told to learn to code\n22:51 - Coding agents have changed the maths on this\n26:01 - The new nuance: test design and framework knowledge over writing the code\n28:44 - Evaluating code is a testing problem — and LLMs can help you do it\n30:43 - Are agents as good as a junior developer?\n31:42 - Outcome Engineering...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/UFGkkh_jsZubLbpE6txGLPU3-7iIlh6gJ0JsseFDEm0/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9iM2Zk/NGQ3NDk4NmVkNjA5/OGJmMzA0ODQxMWIy/N2ExOS5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}