DeepSeek R1 on Novita AI Supports Function Calling with 60% Discount!

What is Function Calling?

Function calling is a powerful feature that allows Large Language Models (LLMs) to interact with external systems and your code in a structured way. Beyond text generation, LLMs with function calling can recognize when a specific action is needed, generate the required parameters, and execute real-world tasks. This makes AI models more dynamic and practical, enabling seamless integration with external tools and APIs.

How Does Function Calling Work and What Problems Can It Solve?

How to Use DeepSeek R1 Function Calling via Novita AI

Novita AI has been launched support capability descriptions for each LLM, which you can directly view in the console and docs.

​1.Initialize the Client

First, you need to initialize the client with your Novita API key.

from openai import OpenAI
import json

client = OpenAI(
    base_url="https://api.novita.ai/v3/openai",
    # Get the Novita AI API Key from: https://novita.ai/settings/key-management.
    api_key="<YOUR Novita AI API Key>",
)

model = "deepseek/deepseek_r1"

• ​Define the Function to Be Called

Next, define the Python function that the model can call. In this example, it’s a function to get weather information.

# Example function to simulate fetching weather data.
def get_weather(location):
    """Retrieves the current weather for a given location."""
    print("Calling get_weather function with location: ", location)
    # In a real application, you would call an external weather API here.
    # This is a simplified example returning hardcoded data.
    return json.dumps({"location": location, "temperature": "60 degrees Fahrenheit"})

​2.Construct the API Request with Tools and User Message

Now, create the API request to the Novita endpoint. This request includes the tools parameter, defining the functions the model can use, and the user’s message.

tools = [
    {
        "type": "function",
        "function": {
            "name": "get_weather",
            "description": "Get weather of an location, the user shoud supply a location first",
            "parameters": {
                "type": "object",
                "properties": {
                    "location": {
                        "type": "string",
                        "description": "The city and state, e.g. San Francisco, CA",
                    }
                },
                "required": ["location"]
            },
        }
    },
]

messages = [
    {
        "role": "user",
        "content": "What is the weather in San Francisco?"
    }
]

# Let's send the request and print the response.
response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model=model,
    messages=messages,
    tools=tools,
)

# Please check if the response contains tool calls if in production.
tool_call = response.choices[0].message.tool_calls[0]
print(tool_call.model_dump())

3.Output

{'id': '0', 'function': {'arguments': '{"location": "San Francisco, CA"}', 'name': 'get_weather'}, 'type': 'function'}

4.Respond with the Function Call Result and Get the Final Answer

The next step is to process the function call, execute the get_weather function, and send the result back to the model to generate the final response to the user.

# Ensure tool_call is defined from the previous step
if tool_call:
    # Extend conversation history with the assistant's tool call message
    messages.append(response.choices[0].message)

    function_name = tool_call.function.name
    if function_name == "get_weather":
        function_args = json.loads(tool_call.function.arguments)
        # Execute the function and get the response
        function_response = get_weather(
            location=function_args.get("location"))
        # Append the function response to the messages
        messages.append(
            {
                "tool_call_id": tool_call.id,
                "role": "tool",
                "content": function_response,
            }
        )

    # Get the final response from the model, now with the function result
    answer_response = client.chat.completions.create(
        model=model,
        messages=messages,
        # Note: Do not include tools parameter here.
    )
    print(answer_response.choices[0].message)

5.Output

{'id': '0', 'function': {'arguments': '{"location": "San Francisco, CA"}', 'name': 'get_weather'}, 'type': 'function'}

Frequently Asked Question

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Recommend Reading

• A Guide to Accessing DeepSeek V3: Locally and via API
• DeepSeek V3 vs R1: Staged Training vs Iterative SFT-RL Cycles
• Running DeepSeek V3 Locally: A Developer’s Guide