Israeli Tech Firm Hires 100 QA Workers Amid AI Layoffs

When everyone else is replacing software testers with AI, one company is betting big on human talent instead.

QualityAI, formerly known as QualiTest, just announced plans to hire 100 quality assurance professionals in Israel. The 30-year-old software testing company needs SAP testers, cloud specialists, and automation experts to join its Israeli team of 1,500 employees.

The timing seems counterintuitive. Recent weeks have seen hundreds of QA professionals laid off across Israel's tech sector as companies automate testing with artificial intelligence. Even cyber giant Check Point recently disbanded its entire QA department.

But QualityAI CEO Shai Lieberman sees opportunity where others see obsolescence. The company is actively recruiting workers laid off from Wix, which cut around 1,000 jobs recently, offering them new roles in quality assurance.

The company's reasoning challenges the automation narrative sweeping through tech. As AI systems become integral to business operations, organizations face a new challenge: how do you trust the AI itself?

QualityAI argues that expanding AI creates fresh demand for quality assurance rather than eliminating it. AI-based systems need planning, monitoring, and verification, and human experts remain essential for ensuring these systems perform reliably.

The company also suspects many tech layoffs blamed on AI aren't really about automation at all. They call it "AI washing," where companies use AI as an excuse to trim excess headcount accumulated during boom years rather than genuinely replacing humans with technology.

The Ripple Effect

QualityAI's expansion offers a counterpoint to widespread anxiety about AI eliminating jobs. With 7,000 employees worldwide, mostly in Eastern Europe, the company demonstrates how new technology can create demand for different skills rather than simply destroying careers.

The move particularly benefits Israel's tech ecosystem, which has weathered significant layoffs recently. Those 100 new positions represent real opportunities for professionals told their skills were obsolete.

It also highlights an often-overlooked reality: someone has to test the testers. As AI tools proliferate, ensuring they work correctly becomes more critical, not less. Quality assurance may be evolving, but it isn't disappearing.

Sometimes progress means recognizing that the newest technology still needs the human touch.