Introduction: Why Build Your Own Agents?
As a QA professional, you're already using agentic workflows in your IDE (like Cursor's code review agent). But what if you could create specialized agents that help with your specific daily tasks?
The Problem
- Repetitive Tasks: Writing the same test cases, checking the same things every day
- Time Constraints: Not enough hours to test everything thoroughly
- Knowledge Gaps: Forgetting edge cases or missing important test scenarios
- Context Switching: Jumping between different tools and systems
The Solution: Your Own Specialized Agents
Think of an AI agent as a smart assistant that never gets tired and can:
- Work 24/7 on repetitive tasks
- Remember all your testing patterns
- Learn from your work style
- Handle multiple tasks simultaneously
- Provide instant answers to common questions
What Are AI Agents?
Traditional Automation vs AI Agents
Traditional Automation:
- You write a script that does exactly what you tell it
- If something changes, the script breaks
- You must update it manually
- It can't adapt or learn
AI Agents:
- You tell it what you want to achieve (in plain English)
- It figures out how to do it
- It adapts when things change
- It learns from experience
- It can reason about problems
The Five Key Abilities of AI Agents
- Perceive: Understand what's happening (read code, analyze requirements, check system state)
- Reason: Think about what needs to be done (decide what to test, identify risks)
- Act: Do the work (generate tests, run checks, create reports)
- Learn: Remember what worked and what didn't
- Collaborate: Work with other agents or tools
Types of Agents You Can Build
- Test Generator Agent: Creates test cases from requirements
- Code Reviewer Agent: Reviews code changes before commits
- Bug Analyzer Agent: Investigates failures and suggests fixes
- Documentation Agent: Updates test documentation automatically
- Chat Agent: Answers questions about your codebase and processes
- Daily Standup Agent: Prepares your daily status updates
- Regression Agent: Runs smart regression tests based on changes
Current State: Portfolio Agent Implementation Status
Currently Implemented Agents
| Agent | Status | Capabilities | Technologies | Impact/Metrics | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IDE Agentic Workflow (Cursor) | ✅ Active |
|
Cursor IDE, GitHub | Integrated into daily workflow, zero interruption | IDE Integration |
| AI Agents for QA Research | ✅ Research Complete |
|
Research Framework |
|
Healthcare Research |
| Autonomous AI Testing Agent (Data Engineering) | ✅ Implemented |
|
AWS Bedrock, Lambda, Step Functions, DynamoDB | Production-ready, autonomous pipeline testing | Data Engineering Portfolio |
| Unified Autonomous Agent (UAA) | ✅ Active |
|
GitHub Actions, Bash, Node.js | Zero manual intervention for common issues, instant fixes | UAA Architecture | Portfolio Dashboard |
Next Steps & Planned Enhancements
| Planned Feature | Priority | Description | Expected Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Chat Agent | High | Local AI chat agent for quick QA questions, test case suggestions, and daily assistance | Instant answers, reduced context switching, 24/7 availability |
| Daily Workflow Agents (Monday-Friday) | High | Specialized agents for daily QA tasks: planning, test generation, regression, bug analysis, reporting | Automated daily workflows, consistent quality, time savings |
| Free/Open-Source Alternatives | Medium | Local AI models (Ollama, GPT4All) for cost-sensitive projects, no API dependency | Zero cost, complete privacy, offline capability |
| Simplified Setup for Non-AWS | Medium | Docker-based agents, local execution options, simplified deployment | Easier adoption, broader compatibility, reduced setup complexity |
| Additional UAA Capabilities | Medium | SEO monitoring, performance monitoring, content updates, dependency updates | Expanded autonomous portfolio management |
| Agent Learning & Memory | Low | Long-term memory systems, pattern learning, adaptive behavior | Improved accuracy, personalized responses, reduced repetition |
Implementation Priority: Start with the Personal Chat Agent (easiest, immediate value) → Daily Workflow Agents (high impact) → Expand UAA capabilities (incremental value)
Latest Developments & Updates
Recent Advances in Agent Technology
1. Local AI Models (Free & Private)
- Ollama: Run AI models locally on your machine
- LM Studio: Easy interface for local models
- GPT4All: Free, open-source alternative
- Benefits: No API costs, complete privacy, works offline
2. Simplified Agent Frameworks
- LangChain: Makes building agents easier
- AutoGen: Multi-agent conversations
- CrewAI: Role-based agent teams
- Benefits: Less code, faster development
3. IDE Integration
- Cursor: Agentic workflows built-in
- GitHub Copilot: AI pair programming
- Codeium: Free alternative
- Benefits: Agents work where you work
4. No-Code Agent Builders
- Zapier AI: Connect tools with AI
- Make.com: Visual agent workflows
- n8n: Open-source automation
- Benefits: Build agents without coding
What This Means for You
- Easier to build: Less technical knowledge required
- More affordable: Free options available
- Better integration: Works with tools you already use
- Faster setup: Can have agents running in hours, not weeks
Real-World Impact
Based on research and practical implementations:
- 70% reduction in manual testing time
- 10x faster test case generation
- 95%+ bug detection rate
- 487% ROI demonstrated in healthcare QA case studies
Quick Start: 5-Minute Chat Agent
Get your first agent running in just 5 minutes!
Step 1: Install Ollama (Free Local AI)
# Windows (PowerShell)
winget install Ollama.Ollama
# Mac
brew install ollama
# Linux
curl -fsSL https://ollama.com/install.sh | sh
Step 2: Download a Model
# Download a small, fast model (about 4GB)
ollama pull llama3.2:1b
# Or a better quality model (about 7GB)
ollama pull llama3.2:3b
Step 3: Create Your Chat Agent
Create a file called chat_agent.py:
import ollama
import os
class QAChatAgent:
"""Simple chat agent for QA questions"""
def __init__(self, model="llama3.2:3b"):
self.model = model
self.context = self._load_context()
def _load_context(self):
"""Load your QA knowledge base"""
return """
You are a helpful QA assistant. You help with:
- Test case generation
- Bug analysis
- Testing best practices
- Code review questions
- Daily QA workflows
"""
def ask(self, question):
"""Ask the agent a question"""
prompt = f"{self.context}\n\nQuestion: {question}\n\nAnswer:"
response = ollama.generate(
model=self.model,
prompt=prompt
)
return response['response']
def chat(self):
"""Interactive chat mode"""
print("QA Chat Agent - Type 'quit' to exit\n")
while True:
question = input("You: ")
if question.lower() == 'quit':
break
print("\nAgent: ", end="")
answer = self.ask(question)
print(answer)
print()
# Run the agent
if __name__ == "__main__":
agent = QAChatAgent()
agent.chat()
Step 4: Install Python Package
pip install ollama
Step 5: Run Your Agent
python chat_agent.py
That's it! You now have a working chat agent.
Code Examples
Ready-to-use code for different types of agents.
Enhanced Chat Agent with Memory
Create enhanced_chat_agent.py:
import ollama
import json
import os
from datetime import datetime
class EnhancedQAChatAgent:
"""Chat agent with memory and context"""
def __init__(self, model="llama3.2:3b"):
self.model = model
self.memory_file = "agent_memory.json"
self.memory = self._load_memory()
self.context = self._build_context()
def _load_memory(self):
"""Load conversation memory"""
if os.path.exists(self.memory_file):
with open(self.memory_file, 'r') as f:
return json.load(f)
return {"conversations": [], "learned_patterns": []}
def _save_memory(self):
"""Save conversation memory"""
with open(self.memory_file, 'w') as f:
json.dump(self.memory, f, indent=2)
def ask(self, question):
"""Ask with context from previous conversations"""
recent_conversations = self.memory["conversations"][-3:]
conversation_history = ""
for conv in recent_conversations:
conversation_history += f"Q: {conv['question']}\nA: {conv['answer']}\n\n"
prompt = f"""
{self.context}
Previous conversation:
{conversation_history}
Current question: {question}
Answer helpfully and concisely.
"""
response = ollama.generate(model=self.model, prompt=prompt)
answer = response['response']
# Save to memory
self.memory["conversations"].append({
"timestamp": datetime.now().isoformat(),
"question": question,
"answer": answer
})
if len(self.memory["conversations"]) > 20:
self.memory["conversations"] = self.memory["conversations"][-20:]
self._save_memory()
return answer
if __name__ == "__main__":
agent = EnhancedQAChatAgent()
agent.chat()
Test Generator Agent
Reads requirements or code and generates test cases automatically.
import ollama
import json
class TestGeneratorAgent:
"""Generates test cases from requirements"""
def __init__(self, model="llama3.2:3b"):
self.model = model
def generate_tests(self, requirement_text):
"""Generate test cases from requirements"""
prompt = f"""
You are a QA test case generator. Given the following requirement,
generate comprehensive test cases in JSON format.
Requirement:
{requirement_text}
Generate test cases with:
- Test ID
- Test Description
- Test Steps
- Expected Result
- Priority (High/Medium/Low)
Return as JSON array.
"""
response = ollama.generate(
model=self.model,
prompt=prompt,
format="json"
)
try:
tests = json.loads(response['response'])
return tests
except:
return [{"error": "Failed to parse response"}]
def generate_from_file(self, file_path):
"""Generate tests from a requirements file"""
with open(file_path, 'r') as f:
requirements = f.read()
return self.generate_tests(requirements)
# Example usage
if __name__ == "__main__":
agent = TestGeneratorAgent()
requirement = """
Feature: User Login
- User can login with email and password
- User sees error message for invalid credentials
- User can reset password
"""
tests = agent.generate_tests(requirement)
for test in tests:
print(f"Test ID: {test.get('id', 'N/A')}")
print(f"Description: {test.get('description', 'N/A')}")
print(f"Priority: {test.get('priority', 'N/A')}")
print("---")
Code Review Agent
Reviews code changes and provides feedback before you commit.
import ollama
import subprocess
class CodeReviewAgent:
"""Reviews code changes before commit"""
def __init__(self, model="llama3.2:3b"):
self.model = model
def get_diff(self):
"""Get git diff of changes"""
result = subprocess.run(
["git", "diff", "--cached"],
capture_output=True,
text=True
)
return result.stdout
def review(self, diff_text=None):
"""Review code changes"""
if not diff_text:
diff_text = self.get_diff()
if not diff_text:
return "No changes to review"
prompt = f"""
You are a QA code reviewer. Review the following code changes
and provide feedback on:
1. Potential bugs
2. Test coverage gaps
3. Code quality issues
4. Security concerns
5. Best practices
Code changes:
{diff_text}
Provide structured feedback.
"""
response = ollama.generate(model=self.model, prompt=prompt)
return response['response']
def review_and_suggest_tests(self, diff_text=None):
"""Review code and suggest test cases"""
review = self.review(diff_text)
prompt = f"""
Based on this code review:
{review}
Suggest specific test cases that should be written to test these changes.
"""
response = ollama.generate(model=self.model, prompt=prompt)
return {
"review": review,
"suggested_tests": response['response']
}
# Usage: Run before git commit
if __name__ == "__main__":
agent = CodeReviewAgent()
review = agent.review()
print(review)
Monday to Friday Weekly Agents
Complete weekly agent setup for daily QA tasks.
import ollama
from datetime import datetime
import json
class WeeklyQAAgents:
"""Collection of agents for weekly QA work"""
def __init__(self):
self.model = "llama3.2:3b"
self.agents = {
"monday": self.monday_planning,
"tuesday": self.tuesday_test_generation,
"wednesday": self.wednesday_regression,
"thursday": self.thursday_bug_analysis,
"friday": self.friday_report
}
def monday_planning(self, tickets):
"""Monday: Week planning"""
prompt = f"""
Create a weekly QA test plan from these tickets:
{tickets}
Provide:
1. Priority order
2. Estimated time per item
3. Dependencies
4. Risk areas
5. Suggested test approach
"""
return self._generate(prompt)
def tuesday_test_generation(self, requirements):
"""Tuesday: Generate test cases"""
prompt = f"""
Generate comprehensive test cases for:
{requirements}
Include:
- Happy path tests
- Edge cases
- Error scenarios
- Integration tests
"""
return self._generate(prompt)
def wednesday_regression(self, changes):
"""Wednesday: Smart regression"""
prompt = f"""
Analyze these code changes:
{changes}
Recommend:
1. Which test areas are affected
2. Specific test cases to run
3. New tests that might be needed
4. Areas that can be skipped
"""
return self._generate(prompt)
def thursday_bug_analysis(self, bug_report):
"""Thursday: Bug analysis"""
prompt = f"""
Analyze this bug report:
{bug_report}
Provide:
1. Likely root cause
2. Reproduction steps
3. Suggested fix
4. Test cases to prevent recurrence
"""
return self._generate(prompt)
def friday_report(self, week_data):
"""Friday: Weekly report"""
prompt = f"""
Create a weekly QA report from:
{week_data}
Include:
1. Summary of work
2. Metrics (tests run, bugs found)
3. Blockers and issues
4. Next week priorities
"""
return self._generate(prompt)
def _generate(self, prompt):
"""Generate response using Ollama"""
response = ollama.generate(model=self.model, prompt=prompt)
return response['response']
def run_daily_agent(self):
"""Run the appropriate agent for today"""
day = datetime.now().strftime("%A").lower()
if day == "monday":
return "Run Monday planning agent"
elif day == "tuesday":
return "Run Tuesday test generation agent"
elif day == "wednesday":
return "Run Wednesday regression agent"
elif day == "thursday":
return "Run Thursday bug analysis agent"
elif day == "friday":
return "Run Friday report agent"
else:
return "Weekend - no agents scheduled"
# Usage
if __name__ == "__main__":
agents = WeeklyQAAgents()
tickets = """
- Ticket 123: Add user authentication
- Ticket 124: Update payment processing
- Ticket 125: Fix login bug
"""
plan = agents.monday_planning(tickets)
print(plan)
Troubleshooting & Best Practices
Common Issues
Issue 1: Agent Responses Are Slow
Solution:
- Use smaller models (llama3.2:1b instead of 3b)
- Run on GPU if available
- Cache common responses
- Use cloud API for faster responses
Issue 2: Agent Gives Wrong Answers
Solution:
- Provide more context in prompts
- Use better quality models
- Add examples to prompts
- Fine-tune on your specific domain
Issue 3: Agent Forgets Context
Solution:
- Implement memory system (like enhanced chat agent)
- Use conversation history
- Save important patterns
- Use vector databases for long-term memory
Issue 4: Setup Is Too Complex
Solution:
- Start with simplest agent (chat agent)
- Use pre-built solutions
- Follow step-by-step guides
- Ask for help in communities
Best Practices
- Start Simple: Begin with a chat agent, then expand
- Iterate: Improve agents based on usage
- Document: Keep notes on what works
- Share: Teach others in your team
- Combine: Use multiple simple agents instead of one complex one
Security Considerations
- Local Models: Use Ollama for sensitive data
- API Keys: Never commit API keys to git
- Data Privacy: Be careful with what you send to cloud APIs
- Access Control: Limit who can modify agents
Next Steps
- Start Today: Set up the simple chat agent (5 minutes)
- Use Daily: Integrate into your workflow
- Expand Gradually: Add one agent per week
- Share Knowledge: Teach your team
- Iterate: Improve based on feedback
Resources
- Ollama Documentation: https://ollama.com
- LangChain Tutorials: https://python.langchain.com
- Your Research: See Healthcare AI Agents Research
- Data Engineering Agents: Data Engineering Portfolio
Conclusion
Building your own AI agents doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. Start with a simple chat agent, use it daily, and gradually expand. The key is to solve real problems you face every day.
Remember:
- Free options exist: Ollama, Hugging Face, etc.
- Start simple: Chat agent is easiest
- Iterate: Improve based on usage
- Share: Help your team learn
You're already using agentic workflows (like Cursor's code review). Now you can create specialized agents for your specific QA needs.
Monday to Friday Agent Workflow
Complete weekly agent setup for daily QA tasks.