Side, a veteran 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 build an AI‑enhanced quality‑assurance (QA) platform that blends Side’s deep testing expertise with Modl.ai’s cutting‑edge machine‑learning capabilities.
Modl.ai, a relatively new player in the gaming sector, was founded in 2018 and secured $1.7 million in seed financing two years later. The partnership aims to combine the strengths of each organization into a single, differentiated offering. “The MOU essentially merges the best of Side’s testing pedigree with the most advanced AI tools Modl.ai has created,” explains Martin McBride, Side’s chief commercial officer.
“The industry has been searching for a truly effective way to augment QA with AI – a sort of holy‑grail solution. We believe we’ve finally found it.” Earlier AI‑driven QA attempts, including earlier versions of Modl.ai’s own technology, required developers to hand over complete builds or even source code so that the AI could run internal analyses. This “integration‑based” approach, which relied on plugins and SDKs, proved cumbersome and often stalled projects. “It created too much friction and eventually became impractical,” admits Modl.ai founder Christoffer Holmgard.
The new system eliminates that barrier by treating the game exactly as a human tester would receive it – as a finished product ready for a consumer’s device. Holmgard describes the workflow: the game is installed on a device that mirrors the target platform, the AI then plays the title while watching the screen, simulating inputs, and logging every observable event. A second AI layer reviews this data, flags potential defects, and escalates them to a human reviewer for final validation. The first phase, which Modl.ai calls “building game knowledge,” involves developers uploading assets, design documents, screenshots, and other media while conversing with the AI in plain language.
This conversational interface lets the system absorb the game’s context without any code‑level access. Once the AI has a basic understanding, developers specify the test scenarios they wish to explore.
These can range from traditional test cases to novel, AI‑friendly challenges that take advantage of the system’s pattern‑recognition abilities. “Human expertise is still needed to craft the right prompts and guide the AI toward meaningful actions,” Holmgard notes.
After the AI runs a “session” – Modl.ai’s term for a test run – it produces a comprehensive bug report that includes textual descriptions, short video clips as evidence, and full log files. These reports are then handed to a seasoned QA specialist. The human reviewer decides which issues merit further action and provides feedback to the AI, teaching it to distinguish between genuine bugs and intentional features. “Over time the system learns from that feedback loop, becoming more attuned to the nuances of game design,” Holmgard says.
This iterative learning process is central to the partnership’s promise of continual improvement. Side envisions a future where QA personnel evolve into AI engineers, shifting the value chain upward. McBride explains that the transition allows testers to move beyond repetitive, low‑skill tasks toward roles that command higher salaries and greater strategic impact.
“Our people can progress from junior tester to senior tester, and eventually to AI‑engineer, opening new career paths and potentially bringing jobs back to regions where they have previously disappeared due to cost pressures,” he asserts. The AI tool also aims to make QA work more rewarding.
By automating mundane smoke tests and routine verifications for each new build, testers can focus on higher‑order analysis, creative exploration of gameplay, and strategic decision‑making. “When the repetitive load is lifted, our staff can think more strategically and grow their careers,” McBride adds. Benedikte Mikkelsen, Modl.ai’s chief product officer, echoes this sentiment, emphasizing that eliminating tedious, repetitive flows frees human testers to engage in more valuable activities such as assessing game feel or designing innovative test scenarios.
Both leaders stress that AI will never replace QA professionals entirely. The current price point for manual testing in certain low‑cost regions makes a full AI takeover impractical, and the human element remains essential for nuanced judgment. Instead, AI serves as a force multiplier, elevating the skill set of the existing workforce and extending their relevance.
Side’s philosophy treats AI as a “sliding scale” – a tool that can be adjusted up or down depending on the task, but always with a human in the loop. “That’s our ethos,” McBride says. “The technology reduces tedium, cuts errors, and lets our people harness the best of AI while retaining ultimate control.” When asked about the types of games the solution currently supports, COO Oliver Deslandes is candid: the system is best suited for simpler titles—puzzle games, card games, and other experiences with repeatable mechanics—rather than fast‑paced 3D open‑world adventures or fighting games.
“We’re focusing on titles where the AI can reliably interpret screen output and interact without needing ultra‑high‑speed responses,” he explains. He adds that early adopters willing to pilot the technology will help shape its evolution and expand its applicability. In summary, the Side‑Modl.ai partnership seeks to redefine QA in the gaming industry by marrying human expertise with AI efficiency. Through a collaborative, feedback‑driven approach, the joint venture aims to deliver faster, more accurate bug detection while empowering testers to advance their careers and focus on higher‑value work.
The six‑month MOU marks the beginning of a journey that could reshape how games are tested worldwide, offering a scalable, human‑centric model for the future of quality assurance.