Introducing the First Edition Sembi Software Quality Pulse Report

A sneak peek at the first-ever industry-wide survey of QA and security

For the first time, Sembi has brought together nearly 4,000 QA engineers, security professionals, developers, and engineering leaders to capture the real state of software quality and security in 2026. The result is the inaugural Sembi Software Quality Pulse Report—a comprehensive, data-driven look at seven themes defining how teams build, test, and secure software today. 

TL;DR The 2026 Sembi Software Quality Pulse Report surfaces seven themes that define where software quality and security stand today: release velocity, automation maturity, DevOps integration, AI adoption, security posture, talent gaps, and the convergence of QA and security. Across all seven, the pattern is the same—intent is strong, but execution is lagging. The organizations that will lead in 2026 are those closing the gap between the two.

1. Speed Is Outpacing the Processes Built to Support It

Release cadence is accelerating across the industry, but quality and security practices aren’t keeping up. Teams are shipping faster while simultaneously reporting more defects reaching production and more reactive security postures.

• Only ~26% of QA teams are mostly or fully integrated with their DevOps pipelines—yet release cadence keeps accelerating
• Only ~22% of teams release daily or more frequently
• Quality, security, and compliance all rank far above cost control as release priorities

2. Automation Is Widespread, But Not Optimized

Most teams have made real investments in automation, but execution gaps remain. Skill shortages, fragile test suites, and high false positive rates are limiting the return on those investments across both QA and security.

• 57% of QA tests are currently automated—leaving nearly half still manual
• Security automation averages 55.7%
• Only 51% of detected security issues are true positives, creating significant noise

3. Integration Is the Biggest Performance Gap

Across QA and security, integration with DevOps pipelines is the clearest differentiator between high- and low-performing teams. Most organizations are still falling short of full integration.

• Only ~26% of QA teams report being mostly or fully integrated with DevOps
• Just 9% of security teams report fully integrated toolchains

4. AI Is Transforming Development Faster Than Quality Can Follow

Respondents report that more than half of their code is now AI-generated or AI-assisted, fundamentally changing the volume, velocity, and risk profile of software output. QA and security processes built for human-written code are struggling to adapt.

• Teams report an average of 53% of their code has now been touched by AI
• 61% report moderate to dramatic increases in QA testing demand due to AI-generated code
• Only 17% describe AI-driven testing as having a significant impact, most gains remain incremental

AI is also the #1 investment priority for 2026—outpacing QA automation, security tooling, and staffing combined. Whether that investment drives convergence or accelerates fragmentation will depend on how organizations deploy it.

5. Security Is Still Reactive, and the Industry Knows It

Despite growing awareness, security practices remain largely defensive. Data breaches (38.8%), cloud misconfigurations (36.9%), and AI/LLM threats (32%) top security concern lists—yet proactive practices like threat modeling rank near the bottom of adoption.

6. People and Skills Are the Constraint No Tool Can Fully Solve

Talent shortages are slowing automation adoption, limiting AI integration, and stretching teams thin.

• 44.7% of QA teams report being understaffed
• 38.8% of security teams report being understaffed
• Most organizations don’t anticipate significant headcount growth in the next 12 months

7. The Convergence of QA and Security Is the Industry’s Next Major Shift

Teams overwhelmingly recognize the value of aligning QA and security—but organizational silos, misaligned KPIs, and fragmented tooling are preventing most from achieving it.

• 68% say stronger QA and security alignment would be very or extremely valuable
• Only ~33% are confident in their organization’s ability to scale QA and security together
• Conflicting KPIs (31%), siloed teams (30.5%), and late security involvement (28.9%) are the top obstacles

The conclusion? The organizations that will lead in 2026 are those investing now in integration, automation, and a unified approach to quality and security—not as separate initiatives, but as a single, strategic discipline. That’s what Sembi’s portfolio is built for.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Sembi Software Quality Pulse Report?

The Sembi Software Quality Pulse Report is a survey-driven research report capturing the real state of software quality and security across the industry. The first edition draws on nearly 4,000 responses from QA engineers, security professionals, developers, and engineering leaders worldwide, covering seven core themes from release velocity and automation maturity to AI adoption and QA/security convergence.

What are the biggest challenges facing QA and security teams in 2026?

The report identifies four compounding challenges: AI-generated code increasing testing volume faster than processes can absorb, integration gaps limiting the effectiveness of existing tooling, persistent talent shortages across both QA and security, and organizational silos preventing the cross-functional alignment teams increasingly need. No single challenge stands alone—they all reinforce each other.

How is AI changing software quality and security in 2026?

Respondents report that AI now touches an average of 53% of their code, and the effects are being felt across the entire SDLC. QA teams are seeing significant increases in testing demand, security teams are encountering new vulnerability patterns AI code introduces, and both functions are struggling to adapt processes built for human-written code. At the same time, AI is the #1 investment priority for 2026—but most of those gains are still incremental.

What does the report say about the convergence of QA and security?

68% of respondents say stronger QA and security alignment would be very or extremely valuable, but only 33% feel confident their organization can scale both functions together. The biggest blockers are structural: conflicting KPIs, siloed teams, and security involvement that comes too late in the development cycle. The market has moved past debating whether convergence matters. The challenge now is building the operational model to make it real.

How should engineering leaders use the report findings?

The report is designed to help engineering leaders benchmark their teams against nearly 4,000 peers across QA, security, development, and DevOps. The most actionable takeaways center on three priorities: closing the DevOps integration gap, building a unified quality and security model rather than parallel investments, and using AI strategically—as a convergence layer, not a way to scale existing silos faster.

Ready to see the full data?

The 2026 Sembi Software Quality Pulse Report covers all seven insights in depth—with detailed data cuts across organization size, industry vertical, geography, and role level. Download it now to benchmark your team against nearly 4,000 of your peers.

👉 Download the Sembi Software Quality Pulse Report