Side, a seasoned services provider formerly known as PTW, has entered into a six‑month memorandum of understanding with Danish artificial‑intelligence specialist Modl.ai to co‑develop an AI‑enhanced quality‑assurance (QA) platform for the gaming sector. The partnership blends Side’s deep‑rooted testing capabilities with Modl.ai’s cutting‑edge AI technology, aiming to create a solution that augments, rather than replaces, human testers.
Modl.ai, a relatively new player in the games industry, was founded in 2018 and secured $1.7 million in seed capital two years later. While its earlier AI‑driven QA tools required developers to ship entire builds or even share source code through a plugin‑based SDK, this approach proved cumbersome and generated friction for studios.
According to founder Christoffer Holmgard, the new system eliminates the need for any internal access. "We treat the product exactly as you would hand it to a QA tester or eventually to the consumer," he explains.
"The game runs on a device that mirrors the target platform, our AI watches the screen, simulates key inputs, records every event, and then passes the data to a second AI layer that flags potential bugs. Those findings are then reviewed by a human specialist who decides on the appropriate action." The first phase of the workflow is what Modl.ai calls building "game knowledge." Developers upload assets, design documents, screenshots, and other relevant materials, and then converse with the AI in natural language to teach it the fundamentals of the title. "You can chat with the system about your game, attach images, feed design docs—everything is done in plain language," Holmgard notes.
Once the AI has a solid understanding, developers specify the test scenarios they want to run, ranging from classic test cases to novel, AI‑friendly challenges. Human expertise remains essential at this stage.
"You need skilled testers to craft prompts and guide the AI so it performs the right actions," Holmgard says. The AI then executes the defined sessions—referred to as "runs"—and produces comprehensive bug reports that include textual descriptions, short video clips as evidence, and full log data.
These reports are handed to a human QA analyst for validation and prioritisation. One of the persistent difficulties for AI in gaming QA is distinguishing a genuine bug from an intended feature. Holmgard points out that continuous feedback from human testers helps the system learn these nuances. "Prompt engineering, pre‑built game knowledge, and ongoing tester feedback all combine to fine‑tune the AI’s judgment over time," he explains.
Side sees this collaboration as a pathway to elevate its workforce. Chief Commercial Officer Martin McBride envisions QA staff transitioning into AI engineers, thereby moving up the value chain and opening higher‑paying career tracks.
"Instead of a linear ladder from junior tester to senior tester, we can now offer roles that involve AI model training, prompt design, and data analysis," he says. This shift could also repatriate jobs to regions where low‑cost testing has previously migrated, because the higher‑skill AI‑focused positions command better compensation.
McBride stresses that AI is intended to relieve testers of repetitive, low‑value tasks, allowing them to focus on strategic analysis and creative testing. "Smoke tests, regression checks, and other routine verifications consume a lot of time. By automating those, our people can think more critically about gameplay balance, user experience, and other high‑impact areas," he adds.
Similarly, Modl.ai’s Chief Product Officer Benedikte Mikkelsen notes that automating tedious flows frees humans to assess core gameplay and explore more inventive testing methodologies. Both executives agree that AI will not replace QA professionals but will act as a catalyst for professional growth. "Testing rates are still low in many countries, making it hard to eliminate the human element entirely," McBride observes. "Providing our teams with AI tools extends their careers, raises their earning potential, and keeps talent within the organization longer." Side’s philosophy frames AI as a "sliding scale"—a spectrum where the proportion of automation can be adjusted, but a human will always remain in the loop.
"That’s our ethos," McBride affirms. "The tool lets us capture the best of AI—speed, consistency, error reduction—while preserving the critical judgment that only experienced humans can provide." When asked about the types of games the solution currently supports, Chief Operating Officer Oliver Deslandes explains that the technology is best suited for simpler titles, such as puzzle games, card games, and other experiences with repeatable mechanics. "Fast‑paced 3D open‑world or fighting games are still a ways off; we need to focus on titles where the AI can reliably interpret screen output and input patterns," he says.
The company is seeking early adopters willing to pilot the system, acknowledging that the journey will involve iterative improvements based on real‑world feedback. In summary, the Side‑Modl.ai partnership aims to blend AI efficiency with human insight, creating a hybrid QA model that reduces tedious work, enhances bug detection, and opens new career pathways for testers.
By treating AI as an adjustable aid rather than a wholesale replacement, both firms hope to set a new standard for quality assurance in the gaming industry, starting with modest titles and gradually expanding to more complex experiences as the technology matures.