Sankarraj Subramani

In layperson terms, what do you actually do at work?

I work in a field called AI-powered Quality Assurance (QA) and Automation, which is just a fancy way of saying I help make sure the technology people use every day actually works, is safe, and doesn’t break when it matters most. Think about the apps you use to book a flight, apply for a loan, or check your bank account. Behind the scenes, these systems are very complex, and if something goes wrong, it can cause huge problems like delayed flights, families losing access to money, or someone being denied a fair chance at a mortgage. My job is to prevent those problems. Instead of testing one thing at a time, I build AI and automation tools that can simulate thousands of real-world situations in minutes. These tools don’t just catch mistakes they can also predict where future problems might happen. That means we can fix issues before they ever affect customers. Here are some examples from my work: At United Airlines, I helped test systems that keep planes connected to satellites (like SpaceX Starlink Wi-Fi). We used AI to simulate bad weather, signal loss, and other challenges to make sure pilots and passengers always stay connected safely. At Freddie Mac, I built AI tools that sped up mortgage approvals and made the process more fair, so more families could buy or refinance their homes. This work helped save billions of dollars in costs and gave thousands of people better access to credit. At USAA (a bank for military families), I tested banking systems used by millions of service members and veterans. We simulated stressful scenarios like sudden military pay delays or emergencies—to make sure families could always access their money securely, even under pressure. Beyond my job, I also create free open-source AI tools that other engineers can use, volunteer as a career coach on CareerVillage to guide students interested in STEM careers, and join hackathons (innovation competitions) where I build apps for social good, like mental health journaling tools and healthcare information assistants. I am a found of SH Tech where I freely mentor and guide kids, students, and professional for their career journey. In short: I use AI and automation to make sure critical systems like aviation, finance, and healthcare stay safe, reliable, and accessible for the people who depend on them.