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 in the business intelligence system, wherein the business intelligence artifact produces output when the business intelligence artifact is executed in the business intelligence system, and wherein the business intelligence artifact is selected from the group consisting of: a report specification and an analysis cube; creating at least one assertion with conditions to determine whether the business intelligence artifact is functioning properly; 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; and reporting if the conditions of the at least one assertion are not satisfied.