Side, a seasoned services provider formerly known as PTW, has entered into a six‑month memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Denmark‑based artificial‑intelligence specialist Modl.ai. The agreement sets the stage for a joint venture that will fuse Side’s deep‑rooted QA capabilities with Modl.ai’s cutting‑edge AI technology to create an AI‑enhanced quality‑assurance platform for the gaming industry. ### Background of the Partners Side has long been a fixture in the outsourced services market, delivering testing, localisation, and support services to game developers worldwide.
Modl.ai, by contrast, is a relatively new player that broke into the games sector in 2018 and secured $1.7 million in seed funding two years later. While Modl.ai’s earlier AI‑based QA tools required developers to hand over full builds—or even source code—through a plugin and SDK, the friction this created proved a barrier to widespread adoption, according to founder Christoffer Holmgard.
### A New, Less Intrusive Approach The solution envisioned under the MOU eliminates the need for any internal code access. Holmgard explains that the system treats the game exactly as a human tester would receive it: a compiled build installed on a device that mirrors the end‑user’s hardware. The AI then runs the game, watching the screen, simulating inputs, and recording every visual and behavioural event. A second AI layer analyses the generated dataset, flags potential defects, and escalates them to a human reviewer for final validation.
### Building “Game Knowledge” The first phase of the workflow is what Modl.ai calls “building game knowledge.” Developers upload assets, design documents, screenshots, and other relevant materials, then converse with the AI in plain natural language. This dialogue helps the system form a contextual understanding of the game’s mechanics, narrative, and visual style. Holmgard notes that the process is deliberately conversational: "We just chat with the system about our game, but we also feed it images and design docs, so it learns the language of our title." ### Defining Test Scenarios Once the AI has a solid grasp of the game, developers specify the testing objectives.
These can range from traditional test cases—such as verifying that a menu opens correctly—to more exploratory scenarios that are specifically crafted to leverage the AI’s strengths. Holmgard stresses that human expertise is still crucial at this stage: "You need to adapt the prompting and language so the AI agent does the right things." ### Automated Bug Reporting and Human Review During a test run, the system captures textual logs, video snippets (referred to as “evidence”), and comprehensive telemetry. This information is compiled into a bug report that is handed off to a seasoned QA specialist.
The specialist reviews the findings, decides whether each issue is a genuine defect, a design feature, or a false positive, and provides feedback that the AI incorporates for future iterations. Over time, this feedback loop fine‑tunes the model’s ability to distinguish subtle nuances in game design. ### The Human‑in‑the‑Loop Philosophy Both companies agree that AI will never fully replace human testers.
Instead, the technology is intended to lift QA professionals up the value chain, allowing them to focus on higher‑order tasks such as strategic analysis, creative testing, and gameplay assessment. Side’s chief commercial officer Martin McBride describes this shift as moving staff from “repetitive smoke tests” to roles akin to AI engineers, which can command higher salaries and open new career pathways. ### Benefits for Testers and the Business McBride highlights several advantages: - **Reduced Repetition:** Automated smoke and regression tests free testers from monotonous chores.
- **Higher‑Value Work:** With routine checks handled by AI, humans can concentrate on nuanced gameplay evaluation and innovative test design. - **Career Advancement:** QA staff can upskill to become AI engineers, expanding their expertise and earning potential.
- **Geographic Flexibility:** By elevating the skill level of the workforce, Side hopes to bring jobs back to regions where low‑cost testing had previously migrated. Benedikte Mikkelsen, Modl.ai’s chief product officer, echoes this sentiment, noting that many current tests are “tedious” and better suited to automation, freeing humans to engage in more creative, value‑adding activities.
### Limitations and Future Scope The technology is presently best suited to simpler titles—puzzle games, card games, and other experiences with repeatable, slower mechanics. According to Side’s chief operating officer Oliver Deslandes, fast‑paced genres such as fighting games or expansive 3D open‑world adventures remain a longer‑term goal. The current focus is on clients willing to pilot the solution and tolerate the iterative nature of early‑stage AI deployment. ### The Sliding‑Scale View of AI McBride frames Side’s approach to AI as a “sliding scale”: the degree of automation can be adjusted, but a human will always remain in the loop.
This ethos underpins the partnership, ensuring that AI serves as an augmentation rather than a replacement. By stripping away human error in repetitive tasks and providing consistent, data‑driven insights, the combined solution aims to raise the overall quality of game releases while preserving the critical judgment that only experienced QA professionals can provide. ### Looking Ahead Both Side and Modl.ai see this collaboration as a stepping stone toward more sophisticated AI‑driven QA pipelines. As the system ingests more feedback, expands its game‑knowledge base, and refines its detection algorithms, it is expected to handle increasingly complex titles.
For now, the partnership offers a pragmatic, low‑friction entry point for developers seeking to experiment with AI while retaining the safety net of human oversight. In summary, the Side‑Modl.ai MOU represents a strategic blend of established QA expertise and emerging AI capabilities. By automating the most repetitive aspects of testing, empowering QA staff to become AI engineers, and maintaining a human‑centric safety net, the initiative promises to reshape how games are tested, improve career prospects for testers, and ultimately deliver higher‑quality experiences to players worldwide.