Want your AI to do more than just talk? Learn how to give your iOS apps "hands and eyes" using Firebase AI Logic!
Generative models are incredibly powerful, but they have a major limitation: they're frozen in time and can't interact with the real world. In this video, @peterfriese from the Firebase team breaks down Function Calling (also known as tool use) and shows you how to bridge that gap.
We’ll walk through a practical example using a meal-planning app called Friendly Meals, showing you how to allow an AI to set timers and check remaining time directly on a user's device.
What you’ll learn:
* Why generative models need "tools" to be truly useful.
* The 5-step workflow for implementing function calling on iOS.
* How to write effective Function Declarations that the model understands.
* Best practices for reliability, including temperature settings and naming conventions.
* Crucial safety tips for high-consequence AI actions.
Resources:
* ? Firebase AI Logic Documentation: https://goo.gle/ai-logic-function-calling
* ? Function Calling Best Practices: https://goo.gle/3McJMV6
* ? Sample App Code: https://goo.gle/friendly-meals-apple
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:25 The Friendly Meals App Example
1:30 The Problem: Generative AI Limitations
2:05 What is Function Calling?
2:47 Implementation Overview (5 Steps)
3:29 Step 1: Implementing the Timer Function
4:19 Step 2: Function Declarations
4:51 Best Practices for Function Calling
6:41 Step 3 & 4: Handling Tool Requests
8:04 Demo: Setting a Timer for Poached Eggs
8:30 Adding a "Remaining Time" Function
9:49 Conclusion & Key Takeaways
#Firebase #iOS #AI #Swift #FunctionCalling #GenerativeAI #DeveloperTutorial