How can I configure an OpenAI Assistant to query my MySQL database via its API?

Below is an example of how you could approach this:

Overview

Yes, you can create an assistant that processes input and makes API calls to your MySQL database. The idea is to configure your assistant (via the Assistants API) so that it knows how to handle specific instructions—such as what to do when a user asks to search the database—and then to tie that into a tool or custom integration that performs the API call.

How It Works

1. Assistant Configuration
   When you create your assistant (for example, using the Assistants API), you can provide detailed instructions in its configuration. You might say something like:

   "You are an assistant that checks our MySQL database for matching records based on user queries. When a question is asked, call the provided Database API to fetch and return the data."

2. Using Tools for API Calls
   In the assistant creation, you can define tools. Typically, you'll see examples with a tool type like code_interpreter; however, you can also extend this to support your custom actions. The tools array can be used to specify a function that wraps your Database API call. For instance, your custom integration might look similar to this in your assistant configuration:

   BASHCopied
   curl "https://api.openai.com/v1/assistants" \
   -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
   -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_OPENAI_API_KEY" \
   -H "OpenAI-Beta: assistants=v1" \
   -d '{
     "instructions": "You are an assistant that searches a MySQL database via its API. When asked to search, call the provided API endpoint to retrieve the data.",
     "name": "Database Search Assistant",
     "tools": [{"type": "custom_database_api"}],
     "model": "gpt-4-turbo"
   }'

3. Backend Integration
   As the OpenAI UI (Playground or similar) doesn’t automatically handle external API calls, you’d need to set up a backend endpoint that integrates with the assistant. An example using the Vercel AI SDK might be:

   TYPESCRIPTCopied
   import { openai } from "@ai-sdk/openai";
   import { createEdgeRuntimeAPI } from "@assistant-ui/react/edge";
   
   export const { POST } = createEdgeRuntimeAPI({
     model: openai("gpt-4-turbo"),
     // Your custom integration here could include logic for handling custom_database_api tool calls.
   });

   In your backend, you would intercept the tool call (custom_database_api) and then call your MySQL Database API accordingly.

Testing in the UI

While you can create and configure an assistant using the API or Playground, remember that for your specific use-case, you'll need your backend to actually handle the database API calls. The OpenAI Playground and UI let you test interactions, but the assistant will need to be wired to your custom logic (via your backend endpoints) to perform the API calls to your database.

Conclusion

It is possible to build an assistant that interacts with your MySQL database via its API by:

• Creating an assistant with detailed instructions on how to process queries.
• Specifying a custom tool (or extending the functionality of an existing one) to make the API calls.
• Setting up a backend endpoint that handles these custom actions and integrates with the assistant.

Once you have your integration in place, you can test and interact with your assistant using the OpenAI UI and Playgrounds.