TRACE-TEST: An Evidence-Linked Software Quality Assurance Framework for AI-Augmented Testing in Regulated Platforms

Artificial intelligence is increasingly used in software testing for test generation, regression prioritization, repair, and defect analysis. Most studies, however, optimize for local gains such as speed, coverage, or prompt quality. From a software quality perspective, that leaves an important gap. Regulated platforms in banking, healthcare, insurance, and public services require testing workflows that improve quality while also preserving traceability, evidence retention, human oversight, and defensible release decisions. This paper develops TRACE-TEST, an evidence-linked framework for software quality assurance in AI-augmented testing. The paper combines a targeted integrative review of recent empirical testing studies and current governance sources with a design-science artefact proposal. The review shows two simultaneous realities. The technical potential of LLM-based testing is rising quickly. Industrial adoption, standardized evidence practices, and post-deployment feedback loops remain immature. TRACE-TEST addresses that gap by linking regulations and controls, requirements, risk classification, AI-generated artefacts, reviewer actions, execution evidence, monitoring signals, and release sign-off into a single quality-assurance chain. The paper makes four contributions. First, it identifies five research gaps that matter most for high-assurance software quality. Second, it synthesizes recent empirical evidence on coverage, mutation effectiveness, traceability, practitioner oversight, and software evolution. Third, it specifies a minimum evidence object and a governed release-assurance workflow. Fourth, it proposes an evaluation model that combines technical testing metrics with quality-assurance metrics such as traceability completeness and evidence readiness. The main contribution is not simply more AI in testing. It is a framework that makes AI-assisted testing more reviewable, measurable, and software-quality aligned in regulated environments.

software quality; software quality assurance; AI-augmented testing; software testing; traceability; auditability; human oversight; release governance; risk-based testing