Large language models (LLMs) are surprisingly easy to use and at their core, they’re just an API call away. But how do you go from calling a model to actually building something useful?
In this talk, I share my experiences creating and deploying LLM-powered applications in R. I walk through different approaches I’ve tried, from incorporating LLMs into Shiny apps, improving my R code, and experimenting with different models and deployment options. Along the way, I highlight what worked, what didn’t, and what I learned in the process.
Whether you’re curious about integrating LLMs into your own projects or just want to see what’s possible, this session offers a practical look at building with LLMs in R without the hype.
Presented at useR! 2025.