29th-30th JUNE 2027 – LONDON, UK

Adam Mackay

Adam Mackay

  • Head of AI Research
  • QA-Systems, UK

Adam Mackay is Head of AI Research at QA-Systems, where he leads research into AI testing methodologies for safety-critical systems. With 28 years of experience in embedded software testing across aerospace, automotive, and medical sectors, he specializes in helping regulated industries navigate the practical challenges of AI adoption while maintaining compliance with standards including DO-178C, ISO 26262, and IEC 62304.
Adam has presented research at international conferences and is co-author of “Embedded Software Testing: From Fundamentals to AI” (BPB, 2025). His current research focuses on frameworks for testing AI components within safety-critical systems, with particular emphasis on Retrieval-Augmented Generation architectures and the challenges of integrating AI tools into certified development processes.

Sessions

  • AI and ML in Testing

    Shadow Testing: The Secret AI Adoption Already Happening in Your Supply Chain

    AI and ML are emerging in aerospace and avionics, raising complex testing and certification challenges, presenting significant verification and validation challenges. AI use cases are broadly categorized into narrow/specialized AI (e.g., object detection) and generative models, which pose greater unpredictability due to non-deterministic outputs. Current architectures favour non-safety-critical, passive AI/ML systems operating in parallel with primary avionics functions—supporting anomaly detection, predictive maintenance, and decision support. In light of limited data availability, what methods are most appropriate for testing and validating? How do you approach verification and validation of non-deterministic AI systems within the constraints of deterministic safety standards like ED-324/DO-178C? Where will EUROCAE technical standards (WG114) support the development of systems and the certification of aeronautical systems implementing AI-technologies?