How can I call my Playground-built assistant via the Python API?

Below is an example of how you might use a created assistant via the API in Python. In short, yes—you can use an assistant you've created instead of directly calling a model like gpt-3.5-turbo-1106. However, note that the Assistants API is currently in beta, so you’ll need to include the appropriate beta header and follow the Assistants endpoints rather than the usual chat completion endpoints.

The workflow is roughly as follows:

1. When you create an assistant (like your Math Tutor), the API returns an assistant object that includes an ID (for example, "asst_abc123") along with your custom instructions and tools (e.g., code interpreter).

2. In your subsequent API calls you use this assistant’s ID to reference it. This typically means calling a completions-like endpoint that is designed to work with assistants. (The exact endpoint path may differ from the standard completions URL.)

3. In your request you must include the beta header (e.g., "OpenAI-Beta: assistants=v1").

Here’s an example using Python’s requests library:

PYTHONCopied
import requests

# Your API key and the assistant ID you received when creating the assistant
api_key = "YOUR_API_KEY"
assistant_id = "asst_abc123"

# Construct the URL for a completions-like call that uses your assistant.
# (Ensure to check the documentation for the current endpoint. This is just an example.)
url = f"https://api.openai.com/v1/assistants/{assistant_id}/completions"

headers = {
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
    "Authorization": f"Bearer {api_key}",
    "OpenAI-Beta": "assistants=v1"
}

# Your request payload: here you send the user message as you would in a chat.
payload = {
    "messages": [
        {"role": "user", "content": "How can I calculate 5+3?"}
    ]
}

response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, json=payload)

print(response.json())

Important notes:

• The exact URL path for using an assistant may vary as the Assistants API is still in beta—always refer to the latest OpenAI API documentation for any updates.
• When you switch from using a model (like gpt-3.5-turbo-1106) to an assistant, you no longer need to pass parameters such as instructions or tools in each call; they’re encapsulated in the assistant object.
• Make sure that your API client includes the required beta header in every request that uses assistants.

This way, you can integrate your custom assistant into your Python application rather than directly interacting with the raw GPT model.