Build your own AI-powered Personal Assistant

Build your own AI-powered Personal Assistant

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction
2. Demo: Personal Assistant Extension
3. Understanding Function Calling
4. Code Overview
5. Using Function Calling with Azure Open AI
6. Improvements for Production Readiness
7. Resources Used

Article:

Introduction

Today, we will be discussing an SPFx extension known as the Personal Assistant. This extension was developed using a feature of Open AI called function calling, and it utilizes Microsoft Graph as well. Before we dive into the demo and code, let me briefly introduce myself. I am Anoop, an MVP in the Microsoft 365 development category, and I work at a company called Content and Cloud Based in the UK. If You want to connect with me on various platforms, you can find the links to my profiles in the article.

Demo: Personal Assistant Extension

Now, let's jump into the demo and understand what the Personal Assistant extension is all about. In my development tenant, I have opened a site and added the SPFx extension called Personal Assistant. This extension functions as a chatbot, allowing users to ask questions and receive Relevant information. For example, you can ask the Personal Assistant who you are, and it will provide the correct answer. Similarly, you can Inquire about your upcoming meetings, tasks, or even the Current weather.

Understanding Function Calling

Function calling is a feature provided by Open AI that allows us to extend the capabilities of their models. With function calling, we can add extra functionalities to the AI models. For instance, if we want to know the current weather, we can Create a function in our code that retrieves the weather data. By informing Open AI about these functions, we can integrate them into the AI model's response. This way, when a user asks a question related to the weather, Open AI can instruct us to call our weather function to fetch the information.

Code Overview

In the Personal Assistant extension code, the main component is the Personal Assistant chatbot. This component includes HTML elements like buttons and a chat window. When a user submits a message or presses enter, a method called onSendClick is executed. This method takes the user's message and adds it to an array called openAI_messages. We use React's useState hook to update the state variable openAI_messages, triggering a useEffect hook to call Open AI.

Using Function Calling with Azure Open AI

It's worth noting that the Personal Assistant extension currently uses Open AI, but in the future, Azure Open AI will also be supported. By passing the functions variable to Open AI along with the user's message, the AI model can determine which function to call based on the question. After receiving the function name and arguments from Open AI, we call the corresponding function on our side to fetch the required data. For example, if asked about upcoming events, the code invokes the getMyEvents function, which uses Microsoft Graph to fetch the user's event data.

Improvements for Production Readiness

Although the Personal Assistant demo is functional, it is not yet production-ready. Currently, all the code is client-side, including the Open AI key, which is not secure. To address this, the code needs to be moved to the server-side, where the Open AI requests can be made more securely. Additionally, there is no need to pass the functions with every request; they can be passed only when required. These improvements will be taken into account for future updates of the extension.

Resources Used

Throughout the development of the Personal Assistant extension, several resources were utilized. These resources include information about Open AI's function calling feature, Azure Open AI, and the sample code presented in this article. If you want to explore these resources further or access the sample code, you'll find the relevant links provided.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Personal Assistant SPFx extension offers a convenient way to integrate Open AI's models into your SharePoint environment. By leveraging function calling, you can extend the AI's capabilities and provide users with personalized assistance. Whether it's retrieving calendar events, tasks, or even customized actions, the Personal Assistant extension is a valuable tool. Stay tuned for future updates and improvements as we move towards production-ready code and Azure Open AI integration.

Highlights

• The Personal Assistant is an SPFx extension developed using Open AI's function calling feature.
• It utilizes Microsoft Graph to fetch data related to the user's queries.
• Function calling allows us to extend Open AI's models with custom functions in our code.
• The Personal Assistant provides personalized assistance with tasks, meetings, and more.
• Future updates will involve migrating the code to the server-side and integrating Azure Open AI.

FAQ

Q: Is the Personal Assistant extension production-ready? A: The current version of the Personal Assistant extension is not production-ready. The code needs to be moved to the server-side for enhanced security and improved functionality.

Q: Can I use Azure Open AI with the Personal Assistant extension? A: While the current version uses Open AI, future updates will include support for Azure Open AI. This will provide additional capabilities and options for integrating AI into the extension.

Q: How can I access the sample code for the Personal Assistant extension? A: The sample code for the Personal Assistant extension will be available on the SPFx dev extensions repository soon. You can find the link to the repository in the resources section of this article.