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# Load Testing AI: Aiming at a Moving Target


- **Event:** World Congress 2026 Europe - Virtual Stage

## Recording

[Watch recording](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1914-load-testing-ai-aiming-at-a-moving-target)

## Description

AI-powered features are everywhere, but most teams are still load testing these like traditional APIs. That's a problem! AI systems behave differently under pressure with latency spikes, token limits, cascading failures, and unpredictable cost explosions.

This talk examines how to load test AI-backed applications realistically, accounting for non-deterministic responses, variable execution times, and external dependencies. We'll break down common failure patterns seen in production AI systems and walk through practical strategies to simulate real user behavior at scale. A short demo will show how to design scenarios that test both performance and resilience.

What you'll gain:
- How AI workloads differ from classic web/API traffic
- Patterns for modeling realistic AI usage under load
- Techniques to test latency, throughput, and cost boundaries
- How to turn AI performance tests into actionable insights

## Speaker

### [Heather Thacker](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/@heather-thacker)

Developer Advocate, International Speaker


## Related talks at this congress

- [AI as a Test Designer: Transforming Experience into Automated Testing](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/events/world-congress-2026-europe-virtual-stage/sessions/1482-ai-as-a-test) — Alisa Hrustic
- [Why Most AI Features Fail After the Demo](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/events/world-congress-2026-europe-virtual-stage/sessions/1646-why-most-ai-features) — Akshay Nagpal
- [Using AI Without Losing Your Skills](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/events/world-congress-2026-europe-virtual-stage/sessions/1632-using-ai-without) — Jen Callou
- [A True Story About Speeding Up the Wrong Things](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/events/world-congress-2026-europe-virtual-stage/sessions/1478-a-true-story-about) — Jo Hasenau, Petra Hasenau