Using the Eggplant Virtual Assistant

You can now enjoy the benefits of an AI-assisted workflow in your Eggplant tests with the Eggplant Virtual Assistant. The Eggplant Virtual Assistant enables you to use AI capabilities with your system under test (SUT) connections. For example, you can start or stop the Connection Service, capture screenshots, and trigger keyboard and mouse events.

Information about enabling the Eggplant Virtual Assistant in Eggplant Studio, what it can do, how to use it, how it works, and security and data implications you should be aware of, are all provided here.

Important

The Eggplant Virtual Assistant uses third-party AI assistants, which come with some security implications and may require that you coordinate with your company's IT or security team. See Security and Data Responsibility Notice for more information.

What the Eggplant Virtual Assistant Can Do

When you enable the Eggplant Virtual Assistant, you can use AI to provide more accurate suggestions and help automate parts of your testing workflow by optimizing the following tasks:

• Start or stop the system under test (SUT) Connection Service in Eggplant Studio.

• Capture screenshots using Eggplant tools.

• Trigger keyboard or mouse events.

• Suggest automated steps based on the context of your testing workflow.

• Help streamline repetitive setup or teardown actions.

Getting Started

Information about how to set up and enable the Eggplant Virtual Assistant in Eggplant Studio is provided below.

Prerequisites

Important

The items listed below are required to use the Eggplant Virtual Assistant. The Eggplant Virtual Assistant cannot operate without any of the items listed.

Requirement	Description
The Eggplant Studio prerequisites	The Eggplant Studio prerequisites listed on the Prerequisites page.
A third party AI assistant	You must install a third party AI assistant because Eggplant Studio alone does not provide this capability. You can use any Model Context Protocol (MCP)-compatible AI assistant that supports computer vision in VS Code. See Supported AI Assistants in VS Code for the latest list of supported AI assistants.
A valid Eggplant Developer license	You must have a valid Eggplant Developer license to use the Eggplant Virtual Assistant. If your license is missing or expired, the Eggplant Virtual Assistant will not be available, even if the setting is enabled. See Licensing Eggplant Studio for more information about licensing.
The Enable AI Assistance for Connections setting for Eggplant Studio enabled in VS Code	You must enable the Enable AI Assistance for Connections setting for Eggplant Studio in VS Code. Instructions for doing so are provided below in 3. Enable the Virtual Assistant.

note

Currently, the Eggplant Virtual Assistant provides capabilities related to system under test (SUT) connections. As the capabilities of the assistant expand, the name(s) of the settings you need to enable may change.

1. Install the Eggplant Studio Extension

1. Open Visual Studio Code (VS Code).

2. Navigate to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X or ⇧+⌘+X).

3. Search for “Eggplant Studio” and install the extension. For details, refer to our Installation Overview page.

4. After installation, open the Primary Side Bar in VS Code to access Studio. See Primary Sidebar in the VS Code documentation if you are unfamiliar with VS Code.

Important

Before using the Eggplant Virtual Assistant, ensure Eggplant Studio has a valid Developer license. If the license is missing or expired, you will not be able to use these AI features, even if the setting is enabled.

2. Install a Third Party AI Assistant

You must install a third party AI assistant because Eggplant Studio alone does not provide this capability. You can use any Model Context Protocol (MCP)-compatible AI assistant in VS Code that supports computer vision. See Supported AI Assistants in VS Code for the latest list of AI assistants we've tested.

3. Enable the Eggplant Virtual Assistant

To enable the Eggplant Virtual Assistant, you must enable the Enable AI Assistance for Connections setting as described below:

note

The current implementation of the Eggplant Virtual Assistant provides support for connection-related functionality. As the capabilities of the assistant expand, the name of the enabling setting may change.

1. In VS Code, go to File > Preferences > Settings (or Code > Settings on macOS).

   

   VS Code settings showing the AI Assistance for Connections option

2. In the search bar, enter: eggplantStudio.enableAIAssistanceForConnections.

   

   Eggplant Studio AI Assistance for Connections setting in VS Code

3. Enable the setting by checking the corresponding box.

   info

   The Enable AI Assistance for Connections checkbox is disabled by default. Enabling it allows Eggplant Studio to communicate with third-party AI assistants/models.

4. Use Eggplant Virtual Assistant to Support Your Testing Workflow

Once you enable AI Assistance for Connections, you can use the Eggplant Virtual Assistant in VS Code to support your testing workflow.

Important

Data Responsibility

Enabling the AI Assistance for Connections option allows Eggplant Studio to communicate with third‑party AI models.

You are solely responsible for:

• Any data you submit to external AI services

• Ensuring your usage complies with your organization's security, governance, and privacy policies

• Understanding the terms of use, data-handling practices, and retention policies of the third-party AI models you choose to use

See Security and Data Responsibility Notice below for details.

Using the Eggplant Virtual Assistant with System Under Test (SUT) Connections

Once you enable AI Assistance for Connections, you can use the Eggplant Virtual Assistant to support your testing workflow.

See What the Eggplant Virtual Assistant Can Do for a list of tasks AI assistants can help you with in Eggplant Studio.

Follow the steps below to set up Eggplant Studio to work with and prompt AI assistants:

1. Ensure AI Assistance for Connections is enabled in your VS Code Settings. (Instructions are provided below.)

2. Open a workspace that includes Eggplant Studio configuration.

3. Launch your AI assistant inside VS Code (for example, GitHub Copilot Chat or Roo VS Code Extension).

4. Interact with the Eggplant Virtual Assistant to request actions or ask questions, such as:

   “Start the SUT connection.”

   “Take a screenshot using Eggplant tools.”

   “Trigger a left‑click on the screen.”

5. Review and approve any AI‑generated actions before execution.

Security and Data Responsibility Notice

Eggplant Studio provides access to AI capabilities through the Model Context Protocol (MCP). When AI Assistance for Connections is enabled, the extension can communicate with third party AI models. See the IMPORTANT note about "Data Responsibility" in Step 4: Use the Virtual Assistant to Support Your Testing Workflow above for more information.

Your Responsibilities

• Any data you submit to external AI services.

• Ensuring your usage complies with your organization’s security, governance, and privacy policies.

• Understanding the terms of use, data handling practices, and retention policies of the third‑party AI models you choose to use.

Key Considerations

• Eggplant does not control or store data sent to external AI models.

• If your organization has strict data handling requirements, ensure AI features are used in accordance with those policies.

• Sensitive or confidential information should only be provided if approved by your IT or security team.

Supported AI Assistants in VS Code

Eggplant has tested the following third party AI tools that support computer vision for use with the Eggplant Virtual Assistant:

Tested Third Party AI Assistants	Description
GitHub Copilot / GitHub Copilot Chat	Provides conversational AI assistance and supports MCP to interact with tools exposed by extensions.
Roo VS Code Extension	A third party VS Code assistant capable of interacting with browser automation workflows that can use MCP to execute additional tool actions.

Troubleshooting

For information about troubleshooting issues with AI assistants and Eggplant Studio, see Troubleshooting the Eggplant Virtual Assistant.