November 3, 2025
01:00 - 03:00 EST
Adapted from: https://github.com/posit-conf-2025/llm
📘 Workshop website: https://skaltman.github.io/r-pharma-llm
☁️ Posit Cloud workspace: https://bit.ly/llm-cloud
LLMs are transforming how we write code, build tools, and analyze data, but getting started with directly working with LLM APIs can feel daunting. This workshop will introduce participants to programming with LLM APIs in R using ellmer, an open-source package that makes it easy to work with LLMs from R. We'll cover the basics of calling LLMs from R, as well as system prompt design, tool calling, and building basic chatbots.
No AI or machine learning background is required—just basic R familiarity. Attendees will gain hands-on experience through guided exercises.
I've set up a Posit Cloud project for you to work in today. Follow these steps to get set up:
- Sign up for a free Posit Cloud account if you don't already have one.
- Join the workspace: https://bit.ly/llm-cloud.
- Navigate to Content and select the
r-pharma-llmproject.
The Posit Cloud workspace includes all files, API keys, and packages you'll need.
| Time | Activity | |
|---|---|---|
| 01:00 - 01:15 | 👋 | Intro |
| 01:15 - 01:55 | 💬 | Anatomy of a conversation |
| 01:55 - 02:25 | 💻 | Programming with LLMs |
| 02:25 - 02:40 | ✍️ | Prompt engineering |
| 02:40 - 03:00 | 🛠️ | Tool calling |
