Side, a seasoned services provider formerly known as PTW, has entered into a six‑month memorandum of understanding with Denmark‑based artificial‑intelligence specialist Modl.ai. The agreement commits both organisations to co‑develop a quality‑assurance platform that leverages AI while retaining a strong human element. Modl.ai, a relatively new player in the gaming sector, was founded in 2018 and secured $1.7 million in seed capital two years later.
Side, by contrast, has been operating in the services arena for many years, giving the partnership a blend of deep industry experience and cutting‑edge technology. “The MOU essentially fuses the best of Side’s testing expertise with Modl.ai’s AI capabilities into a single, differentiated solution,” explains Martin McBride, Side’s chief commercial officer.
“Creating an AI‑enhanced QA offering that truly adds value has been a holy grail for the games industry. We believe we’ve finally cracked it.” Earlier AI‑driven QA tools, including earlier versions from Modl.ai, required developers to hand over complete builds or even source code so the AI could analyse the product. That approach relied on heavy integration via plugins and SDKs and proved cumbersome, leading to friction and scalability problems, according to Modl.ai founder Christoffer Holmgard.
The new system abandons that model entirely. “We treat the product exactly as you would hand it to a human tester or eventually to the consumer,” Holmgard says. “You load it onto a comparable device, and our AI watches the screen, mimics key actions, records everything that happens, and then passes that data to a second AI layer that flags potential bugs. Those findings are then presented to a human reviewer for validation.” The first phase of the workflow is what Modl.ai calls building “game knowledge.” Developers upload assets, design documents, screenshots, or even converse with the AI in plain language to teach it the nuances of their title.
“All interactions are natural‑language based,” Holmgard notes. “You can chat about mechanics, share images, and feed documentation, and the system builds an internal model of the game.” Once the AI has a solid understanding, developers specify the testing objectives.
These can range from traditional test cases to novel scenarios that are especially suited to AI‑driven exploration. “Human expertise is still needed to craft the right prompts and guide the AI toward the desired outcomes,” Holmgard adds, emphasizing the collaborative nature of the process. During a test run—referred to by Modl.ai as a “session”—the system generates comprehensive bug reports. Each report includes textual descriptions, short video clips that serve as evidence, and extensive log data.
These artifacts are handed over to a seasoned QA specialist, who reviews them and decides the next steps for the production pipeline. One of the trickier challenges for AI is distinguishing a genuine defect from an intentional feature. Holmgard explains that ongoing feedback from human testers helps the AI refine its judgment. “Some learning comes from the prompts you give, some from the pre‑built game knowledge, and a large part comes from the continuous feedback loop where humans label findings as bugs or not‑bugs.
Over time the system becomes more attuned to the specific design language of a game.” Side envisions a future where QA personnel evolve into AI engineers, shifting the skill set up the value chain. McBride argues that this transition can revitalize job markets that have suffered from low‑cost testing outsourcing.
“When our people become AI engineers, they earn higher wages, gain new career paths, and we can even bring jobs back to regions where they disappeared because of price pressures,” he says. The AI tool also promises to make QA careers more rewarding. By automating repetitive smoke tests and routine verifications, testers can focus on strategic analysis and creative problem‑solving.
“The burden of monotonous testing is lifted, allowing our staff to think more strategically and engage in higher‑level work,” McBride explains. Benedikte Mikkelsen, Modl.ai’s chief product officer, echoes this sentiment: “Tedious, repeatable tests don’t need a human to perform them over and over. Freeing testers to assess gameplay or conduct inventive testing is the real value proposition of AI.” Despite the automation, McBride stresses that AI will never replace QA professionals entirely. “Testing costs are still low in certain regions, making a full AI takeover impractical,” he says.
“Providing our people with sophisticated tools helps them extend their careers and stay relevant, while we continue to rely on human insight for the nuanced aspects of quality assurance.” Side’s philosophy frames AI as a “sliding scale” where the degree of automation can be adjusted, but a human will always remain in the loop. “That’s our ethos,” McBride affirms.
“The tool lets us harness AI’s strengths—speed, consistency, error reduction—while still depending on human judgment for the final decision.” When asked about the types of games the solution currently supports, COO Oliver Deslandes admits the technology is best suited for simpler titles—puzzle games, card games, or experiences with repeatable mechanics—rather than fast‑paced 3D open‑world adventures or fighting games. “We’re focusing on projects where the mechanics are predictable enough for the AI to learn effectively,” he explains.
“Clients willing to pilot this technology with us will help shape its evolution, and as we gather more data, we’ll expand to more complex genres.” In summary, the Side‑Modl.ai partnership aims to blend AI efficiency with human expertise, creating a QA ecosystem that reduces repetitive workload, opens new career pathways, and gradually extends its capabilities to a broader range of game types. The six‑month MOU marks the start of a collaborative journey that could redefine how quality assurance is performed in the gaming industry.