Exploring AI, Accessibility, and Quality Engineering Trends Driving the Future of Testing
The first-ever Test Up North 2025 conference in Leeds gathered some of the brightest minds in software testing, QA, and technology innovation. The event celebrated advances in AI testing, accessibility, and automation — all vital to the UK’s growing technology ecosystem.
Representing Inspired Testing, Stephen Platten and Samantha Perry attended to explore emerging trends shaping quality engineering across industries. Stephen remarked, “Events like these remind us that testing isn’t static — it’s a craft that keeps evolving with technology and people.”
Accessibility Testing: Making Inclusion the Default
A standout session from Ayesha Saeed, Accessibility Test Lead at Solirius Reply, underscored the growing importance of accessibility compliance and inclusive design. Her talk highlighted that accessibility can’t be an afterthought — it must be embedded from the start.
“If you don’t have a champion for accessibility testing, it’s easily ignored,” Samantha noted. “That message resonated strongly, especially as new regulations come into force across the UK public and private sectors.”
Inspired Testing’s Accessibility Testing Services help clients meet WCAG 2.2 standards and our experts also ensure digital accessibility compliance for all users — a growing focus across the UK’s public and private sectors.
Ethical and Trustworthy AI: Beyond the Hype
AI testing dominated discussions, with Vas Ntokas from the Department for Work and Pensions sharing approaches to address bias, ensure data integrity, and improve model transparency.
Stephen reflected, “The idea of ‘prompt sweep testing’ — checking AI response consistency across varied prompts — was a real takeaway. It’s something we’re exploring within Inspired Testing’s own AI quality frameworks.”
That approach is already being applied in practice through Inspired Testing’s collaboration with a global wealth management client, where AI test automation is used to validate model accuracy and ethical data use. The project demonstrates how responsible AI testing can streamline decision-making while ensuring compliance and trust. Read the full case study here.
Through its AI Testing and Automation Services, Inspired Testing supports organisations in ensuring their AI systems remain accurate, transparent, and accountable.
Mutation Testing: Proving Automation Value
In a session by Harry Young, Senior Developer at Hippo, delegates explored Mutation Testing — a practical way to assess how effectively automated tests detect issues.
Stephen added, “It’s a great reminder that test coverage isn’t the same as test quality. Mutation Testing forces teams to measure how meaningful their automation really is.”
This data-driven approach ties directly into Inspired Testing’s QA Maturity Assessments, helping enterprise clients quantify automation effectiveness and strengthen continuous testing strategies. Inspired Testing is also exploring ways to incorporate Mutation Testing into its QA Maturity framework, using it as an additional metric to benchmark automation depth and improve overall test quality across client engagements.
Mobile Testing: Strategy Over Tools
The session from Suman Bala, Quality Engineering Manager at Leighton, emphasised that mobile testing success depends on strategic thinking rather than tool selection.
Samantha summarised, “It’s about context. Tools evolve, but understanding real-world usage and user needs is what ensures reliability.”
Inspired Testing’s Mobile QA Services continue to help clients optimise performance and user experience across devices, networks, and environments.
Requirements Engineering: Turning Curiosity into Quality
Andy Sockett from Hippo led an engaging session on transforming vague requirements into measurable, testable outcomes. The practical exercise reinforced the importance of curiosity, communication, and clarity — hallmarks of effective testers.
At Inspired Testing, we actively develop and encourage our people to apply critical thinking skills in every engagement. By questioning assumptions, analysing requirements, and seeking clarity early, our teams help clients uncover potential risks and design solutions that deliver measurable quality — truly making way for potential.
The Testing Debate: Collaboration Through Challenge
Perhaps the most lively session was The Testing Debate, where attendees took sides on provocative statements such as “AI creates great test cases.”
The format encouraged open discussion and critical thinking — testers even switched sides as they reflected on others’ reasoning.
Samantha shared, “It was a great reminder that healthy debate drives learning. Testing is about questioning assumptions, not defending preconceptions.”
Final Thoughts: The Spirit of Continuous Improvement
The Test Up North 2025 conference showcased a testing community grounded in collaboration, curiosity, and craft — values that align closely with Inspired Testing’s mission.
From AI ethics to accessibility, automation, and quality culture, the event reflected how UK testers are shaping digital confidence and trust in every sector.
At Inspired Testing UK, we’re proud to be part of this momentum — helping businesses from London to Edinburgh build reliable, inclusive, and high-performing software systems.
Stephen concluded, “Events like this remind us that quality isn’t just about code — it’s about people, purpose, and progress.” This spirit of continuous improvement mirrors our mission: to inspire innovation, collaboration, and excellence across every testing engagement.
