Shiny Integration • aisdk

aisdk provides seamless integration with Shiny, allowing you to build AI-powered applications where the AI can control the UI and interact with reactive input/output.

The AI Chat UI

Use aiChatUI() and aiChatServer() to add a chat interface.

library(shiny)
library(aisdk)

ui <- fluidPage(
  aiChatUI("chat")
)

server <- function(input, output, session) {
  aiChatServer("chat", model = "openai:gpt-4o")
}

shinyApp(ui, server)

AI-Controlled Apps (The Copilot Pattern)

You can give the AI tools to modify reactiveValues, effectively letting it control your app.

1. Define Reactive Values

rv <- reactiveValues(
  plot_color = "blue",
  title = "My Plot"
)

2. Create Reactive Tools

Use reactive_tool() to define tools that can read/write these values.

change_color <- reactive_tool(
  name = "change_color",
  description = "Change the plot color",
  parameters = z_object(color = z_string()),
  execute = function(rv, session, color) {
    rv$plot_color <- color
    paste("Changed color to", color)
  }
)

3. Initialize Server with Tools

server <- function(input, output, session) {
  # ... rv definition ...
  
  # Wrap tools with current session context
  tools <- wrap_reactive_tools(list(change_color), rv, session)
  
  # Provide context so AI "sees" the current state
  get_context <- reactive({
    list(current_color = rv$plot_color)
  })

  aiChatServer(
    "chat",
    model = "openai:gpt-4o",
    tools = tools,
    context = get_context
  )
}

Now the user can say “Change the plot to red”, and the AI will execute the tool, updating the Shiny app instantly.