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 sets the stage for a joint effort to create a next‑generation, AI‑enhanced quality‑assurance (QA) platform aimed at the video‑game industry. 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. While Side brings decades of experience in delivering outsourced services, Modl.ai contributes cutting‑edge machine‑learning technology.
"The MOU essentially fuses the strongest capabilities of both companies into a single, differentiated offering," explains Martin McBride, Side’s chief commercial officer. "For the games world, the holy grail has long been an AI system that truly augments QA. Nobody has cracked it yet – we think we are on the brink." Earlier AI‑driven QA tools, including earlier versions of Modl.ai’s own platform, required developers to hand over full builds or even source code.
Those solutions relied on deep integration via plugins and SDKs, creating friction and, as founder Christoffer Holmgard notes, becoming "difficult over time." The new approach eliminates the need for internal access. "We treat the product exactly as you would hand it to a QA tester or eventually to the consumer," Holmgard says. "The game runs on a comparable device, our system watches the screen, simulates key actions, logs every event, and then passes the data to a second AI that spots bugs, escalates them to a human reviewer, and asks whether they merit action." The process begins with what Modl.ai calls "building game knowledge." Developers upload assets, design documents, screenshots, or even converse with the AI in plain language.
"All interactions are natural‑language based," Holmgard explains. "You can chat about the game, feed it images, feed it design specs – the AI builds a mental model of your title." Once the AI has a baseline understanding, the development team defines test objectives. These can range from traditional test cases to novel scenarios that play to the strengths of the AI system. "Human expertise is still crucial here," Holmgard adds.
"You need to craft prompts and language that steer the AI to do the right things." During a "run" – Modl.ai’s term for a testing session – the system records text logs, video snippets (the "evidence"), and comprehensive telemetry. This package is handed to a human QA specialist for review.
"The specialist decides what to do with each report in the broader production pipeline," Holmgard says. One persistent challenge for any automated tester is distinguishing a genuine bug from an intended feature. The feedback loop from human testers helps the AI refine its judgments. "Prompt engineering, pre‑built game knowledge, and ongoing human feedback all teach the system what counts as a bug and what doesn’t," Holmgard notes.
Over time, the AI becomes attuned to the nuances of a particular game's design philosophy. Side envisions this technology reshaping career paths within QA.
Rather than remaining in repetitive testing roles, staff can evolve into AI engineers, moving up the value chain. "Our people can transition from junior tester to senior tester to AI engineer," McBride says. "That not only raises salaries but also opens new career trajectories and even allows us to bring jobs back to regions where low‑cost testing has been outsourced away." McBride also stresses that AI is intended to make QA work more fulfilling, not to replace humans. By automating routine smoke tests and verification steps, testers can focus on strategic analysis, gameplay assessment, and creative testing.
"The tool lifts the burden of repetitive tasks, letting our people think more strategically and grow their expertise," he explains. Benedikte Mikkelsen, Modl.ai’s chief product officer, echoes this sentiment: "Many current tests are mind‑numbing repeats. You don’t need a human to click the same sequence dozens of times. Freeing them up lets them evaluate gameplay or devise innovative test scenarios – that’s the real value proposition of AI." Both executives agree that AI will never fully replace QA staff.
The low price point of manual testing in certain markets makes a total substitution impractical. Instead, AI serves as a toolset that enhances human work, extending careers and improving retention.
"There will always be a human in the loop – that’s our ethos," McBride affirms. "The AI reduces tedious work and human error, raising overall quality." When asked about the types of games the solution can handle today, COO Oliver Deslandes admits the system is best suited for simpler titles—puzzle games, card games, or other experiences with repeatable mechanics.
Fast‑paced 3D open‑world or fighting games remain a future target. "We’re focusing on projects where the mechanics are predictable enough for the AI to learn effectively," Deslandes says.
"Clients willing to pilot with us now will help shape the technology’s evolution and demonstrate its ROI." In summary, the Side‑Modl.ai partnership aims to blend human insight with machine efficiency, delivering a QA platform that automates the drudgery of repetitive testing while preserving the critical judgment of experienced testers. The six‑month MOU will serve as a proving ground for this vision, with the hope that, over time, the collaboration will expand to cover more complex game genres and further elevate the role of QA professionals in the gaming ecosystem.