AI Assistant Setup Guide

November 19, 2025 · View on GitHub

The AI Assistant is built on Jupyter AI and the Magic Wand extension, both included with Elyra. You only need to install and configure your preferred AI provider.

Quick Start

1. Install an AI provider

pip install langchain-openai

2. Set your API key

export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-your-openai-key-here"

3. Start Elyra

jupyter lab

4. Configure Jupyter AI:

  • Open the AI chat panel (💬)
  • Select "openai-chat:gpt-4" as language model
  • Test by sending a message in chat
  • Look for the magic wand icon (🪄) in notebook cells

AI Provider Setup

Choose and install the AI provider packages you want to use:

ProviderInstallationEnvironment Variable
OpenAIpip install langchain-openaiOPENAI_API_KEY
Anthropic (Claude)pip install langchain-anthropicANTHROPIC_API_KEY
Ollama (Local)pip install langchain-ollamaNone
Google Geminipip install langchain-google-genaiGOOGLE_API_KEY
All Providerspip install "jupyter-ai[all]"Various

API Keys

Set your API keys as environment variables:

export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-your-key-here"
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-your-key-here"

Example Prompts

  • "Create a function to calculate the mean of a list"
  • "Add error handling to this code"
  • "Convert this loop to use pandas"
  • "Fix the syntax error in this cell"

Troubleshooting

Magic Wand Icon Missing/Disabled

  • Check: Jupyter AI settings in chat panel
  • Verify: API keys are set correctly
  • Install: Required provider packages
  • Restart: JupyterLab after changes

Common Issues

  • Invalid API keys: Verify keys are correct and active
  • Missing packages: Install required AI provider packages
  • Ollama not running: Start with ollama serve

Security Notes

⚠️ Important:

  • Never commit API keys to version control
  • Code may be sent to third-party AI services
  • Consider local models (Ollama) for sensitive code

Getting Help