1. In a general purpose computer, a method for automatically testing a business intelligence artifact in a business intelligence system, comprising: authoring a business intelligence artifact selected from the group consisting of: a report specification, an analysis cube, and a metadata model; creating at least one assertion to determine whether the business intelligence artifact is functioning properly; and testing, with an automated agent interfaced with the business intelligence system, the business intelligence artifact to verify its proper functioning by determining whether the conditions of the at least one assertion are satisfied upon execution of the business intelligence artifact in the business intelligence system.