Appendix A — News

A.1 Version 2026.06.23

Added a new chapter focused on local AI workflows with Ollama:

• Example with Ollama: A practical walkthrough of text generation and embeddings in R using the ollamar package, including a similarity example with Sunbelt 2026 workshop descriptions.

This update also clarifies the separation between programmatic API usage and a dedicated, hands-on Ollama chapter.

A.2 Version 2026.02.18

First public version of AI for the Scientist in a Hurry. The book is still a work in progress, but the overall structure is in place. Current chapters include:

• Introduction: Motivation and scope of the book.
• Overview of AI: A conceptual introduction to Large Language Models and agentic AI, including the role of context and the shift from static models to acting agents.
• AI as a Writing Assistant: How to use LLMs to support scientific writing tasks.
• Programming with AI: Using AI coding assistants in environments like VS Code, Positron, and RStudio.
• Agentic AI: A deeper look at agentic frameworks and the Model Context Protocol (MCP).
• Evaluating Writing: Using AI to review high-stakes documents such as grant applications.
• Programmatic AI Usage: Working with AI tools programmatically, including Ollama and related libraries.

A Spanish translation is being developed in parallel under the es/ directory.