Unlocking the Power of Expo LLM: AI Meets Mobile Development

Introduction

In the ever-evolving world of mobile development, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic concept—it's a practical necessity. Enter Expo LLM, a cutting-edge solution that brings the capabilities of Large Language Models (LLMs) directly to mobile apps built using Expo.

What is Expo LLM?

Expo LLM is a library designed to make it easy to integrate LLMs (like GPT or Claude) into Expo/React Native applications. It supports cloud-based and local inference setups with features like:

• Streaming support for real-time UI
• Multi-provider support (OpenAI, Anthropic, Ollama, etc.)
• Token counting & cost estimation
• Function calling
• Secure API key management

Installation & Setup

Get started by installing the library in your Expo project:

npx expo install expo-llm

Usage example:

import { useLLM } from 'expo-llm';

const llm = useLLM();
const response = await llm.prompt("Explain quantum computing");
console.log(response.text);

Supported Providers

• OpenAI (ChatGPT, GPT-4)
• Anthropic (Claude)
• Fireworks AI
• Replicate
• Groq
• Ollama (for local inference)

Function Calling

Function calling allows you to execute actions based on LLM instructions. Here’s how to define tools:

await llm.prompt("Get weather in Paris", {
  tools: [{
    name: "getWeather",
    description: "Get weather",
    parameters: {
      type: "object",
      properties: { city: { type: "string" } }
    }
  }],
  onToolCall: async (tool) => {
    const weather = await fetchWeather(tool.args.city);
    return { result: weather };
  }
});

Token Counting

Estimate costs and token limits:

const tokens = llm.countTokens("Hello world!");
console.log(tokens); // { total: 3 }

Real-World Use Cases

• AI Chatbots & virtual assistants
• Voice-to-text summarization
• Search engine optimization within apps
• Form auto-fill with AI suggestions
• Language translation on the fly
• Customer support automation

Example Project

Clone and run the official chat demo:

npx create-expo-app my-ai-chat
cd my-ai-chat
npx expo install expo-llm

GitHub: expo/llm-chat-demo

Conclusion

Expo LLM bridges the gap between AI and mobile development. Whether you're building an AI tutor, smart travel assistant, or productivity app, this library gives you everything you need to bring intelligence to your mobile apps. It's fast, flexible, and ready to scale with your ideas.