Integrating AI Technologies with Elixir for Application Development

Charlie Holtz presented his experiences with building AI apps using Elixir at ElixirConf 2023, where he discussed the positive community reaction. His annotated talk, aimed at those who may not have time for the full presentation, included a transcription and slides detailing the process of building AI-enabled applications with Elixir. Holtz shared three patterns he identified in the development process: the Magic AI Box, the Gen Server Generator, and Agents. The Magic AI Box pattern encapsulates AI's functionality as a 'black box' that provides an output based on a given input, minimizing the concern about the underlying AI mechanics. The Gen Server Generator is a pattern that utilizes Elixir's GenServer and tasks to create data caches using AI, while Agents involve using Elixir primitives to manage real-time AI entities with memories and moderation capabilities. Holtz demonstrated examples such as using an AI model to produce and analyze METAR weather data, creating interactive quiz apps, and showcasing a project named Shinstagram where generative AI agents interact and create content in a social media-like environment. In conclusion, Holtz's ElixirConf presentation offered valuable insights into the intersection of Elixir and AI, pushing for more discourse on the capabilities Elixir brings to AI app development. He emphasized the suitability of Elixir's primitives for creating interactive, responsive AI applications and encouraged developers to explore AI models available through the Replicate client and OpenAI.