The velocity gap
Dev velocity (AI-native)
QA velocity (scripted)
Quality debt region
Low High Shipping velocity 2022 2023 2024 2026 2028 AI-native dev ramps up Dev (AI-native) QA (scripted) Quality debt fast-moving, invisible
Why this matters: As developer output accelerates with AI tooling, the volume of code reaching QA grows faster than scripted tests can cover it. The result is a widening blind spot where defects accumulate between releases, mostly undetected until they reach production.