Declaring QA engineering “dead” is an attention-grabbing shortcut for a more complicated change. In his Nov. 4 SD Times article, Ermenildo Valdez Castro Jr. makes the more useful case: the work is shifting, not vanishing. Developers can take responsibility for tests close to their code, while QA specialists bring automation, system-wide risk assessment, and exploratory judgment. That is not a defense of job titles for their own sake. It is a reminder that faster code is not the same as dependable software.
Castro’s argument reflects a consistent respect for the people who have to live with engineering decisions. His April 28 essay on clean code emphasizes maintainability, clarity, and respect for the next developer. Those are practical virtues, but also a standard of professional care: don’t leave needless confusion or hidden costs for someone else. His April 14 essay on knowledge-sharing makes a complementary point about communication and community learning. In both, good work is not a solo performance; it helps others do their work well.
That perspective is especially valuable amid AI hype. Castro notes that AI can draft tests and help sort failures, but people still have to judge whether a test reflects a real requirement and catches a meaningful problem. The key question is not whether a machine can produce more checks. It is whether the team can trust what those checks say. Treating automation as a substitute for judgment risks making accountability blurrier just when software is moving faster. Castro instead argues for shared responsibility, with clear ownership and human review where it matters.
There is no reason to pretend every QA role will stay the same; Castro’s article acknowledges that job titles and duties vary. But “the role is dead” turns change into a verdict and overlooks the skills teams still need. Castro’s thought leadership is strongest when it resists that easy drama in favor of useful distinctions: quality is broader than testing, metrics need context, and tools should serve real risks. That is the voice of a builder who values both reliable systems and the people responsible for them.
Related reporting: Is the QA Engineer Role Dead? What Software Testing Looks Like in the AI Era.
Original news source: sdtimes.com.
Published perspectives: Clean code and maintainability (April 28, 2026); Communication and knowledge sharing (April 14, 2026).