Do I need to use Vercel hosting to use the AI SDK?

No, the core SDK (`ai` package) works anywhere Node.js runs. However, some advanced features like Sandbox and Workflows are Vercel platform services.

How do I switch between different AI providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.)?

Change the `model` parameter in your API calls. The SDK handles provider-specific implementations internally.

What's the difference between `generateText` and `streamText`?

`generateText` returns the complete response at once. `streamText` returns a ReadableStream for real-time token-by-token output, better for chat UIs.

How does the AI SDK handle provider fallbacks?

You can define an array of models in the `model` parameter. The SDK will automatically try the next provider if the primary fails.

Can I use the AI SDK with serverless functions outside Vercel?

Yes, the SDK is runtime-agnostic. It works with AWS Lambda, Cloudflare Workers, Deno Deploy, and any Node.js-compatible environment.

How do I handle streaming UI updates in React?

Use the `useChat` hook from `ai/react`. It manages the connection, handles re-renders, and provides streaming message state.

Directory/Coding/AI SDKs/AI SDK

AI SDK

AI SDK is a unified TypeScript toolkit for building AI-powered applications and agents with modern streaming, fallbacks, and multi-model support. It provides a framework-agnostic API for text generation, structured objects, tool calls, and chat interfaces, working seamlessly with React, Next.js, Vue, Svelte, and Node.js. Key capabilities include multi-provider support (switching between 100+ LLM providers with one line of code), built-in streaming for real-time responses, automatic fallbacks for production reliability, and a UI library for building generative interfaces. It's designed for developers building chatbots, copilots, and AI agents. The SDK is open-source and works with Vercel's ecosystem for deployment and scaling, including AI Gateway for model access and Sandbox for secure code execution.

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Sep 22, 2026

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Multi-provider AI SDKStreaming text generationFramework-agnostic UIBuilt-in fallbacksTool callingImage generationSpeech transcription

Product information

Everything worth knowing about AI SDK

The complete picture — from everyday features to the technical detail builders and IT folks dig for.

Core features

What it actually does

Multi-provider support

Switch between different AI model providers (e.g., OpenAI, Anthropic, Google) with a single line of code change.

Streaming that just works

Handles real-time streaming of responses from LLMs without requiring custom parsing logic.

Built-in fallbacks

Automatically falls back to alternative models or providers for reliable production behavior.

Unified text generation API

A single, consistent API for generating text, structured objects, and tool calls across all supported providers.

Framework-agnostic UI hooks

Provides a set of hooks for building chat and generative UI components that work with React, Vue, Svelte, and more.

Technical capabilities

TypeScript-first architecture

The SDK is built with TypeScript, offering type safety and excellent developer ergonomics.

Must watch videos

A Complete Guide To Vercel’s AI SDK // The ESSENTIAL Tool For Shipping AI Apps

38:23

Tutorial38:23

A Complete Guide To Vercel’s AI SDK // The ESSENTIAL Tool For Shipping AI Apps

The Tutorial: https://www.aihero.dev/vercel-ai-sdk-tutorial?utm_source=youtube Join The Newsletter: https://www.aihero.dev/newsletter?utm_source=youtube 00:00 Intro 01:20 What Is The AI SDK? 03:23 generateText 04:58 streamText 06:02 System Prompts 06:52 Hot-Swapping Models 07:57 Preserving Chat History 12:38 Running Local Models 13:49 Structured Outputs 16:21 Streaming Structured Outputs 18:07 Building A Classifier 19:36 Describing Images 23:10 Data Extraction From PDF's 26:04 Embeddings & Vector Databases 30:08 Tool Calling 33:46 Your First Agent 37:44 Outro Follow Matt on Twitter https://twitter.com/mattpocockuk Join the Discord: https://mattpocock.com/ai-discord

Vercel Ship 2025 workshop: Building agents with the AI SDK (Nico Albanese)

41:48

Tutorial41:48

Vercel Ship 2025 workshop: Building agents with the AI SDK (Nico Albanese)

Learn the basics of building AI agents with the AI SDK. • Workshop instructions: https://ship-25-agents-workshop.vercel.app/docs • AI SDK: http://ai-sdk.dev • Read the full Vercel Ship 2025 recap: http://vercel.com/blog/vercel-ship-2025-recap

Multi-Step (Agentic) Generation with the AI SDK

4:54

Tutorial4:54

Multi-Step (Agentic) Generation with the AI SDK

In this video, we'll walk through the new `maxSteps` feature with the AI SDK. Check out the multi-step calls documentation to learn more: https://sdk.vercel.ai/docs/ai-sdk-core/tools-and-tool-calling#multi-step-calls

Who uses it

Real use cases, no hype

AI-Powered Chatbots

Build conversational agents with streaming responses and multi-model support.

Generative User Interfaces

Create dynamic UIs that adapt based on AI-generated content.

Code Assistant Tools

Develop agents for code generation, completion, and analysis.

Multi-Modal Applications

Combine text, image, and speech capabilities in single apps.

Agentic Workflows

Build autonomous agents that perform complex, multi-step tasks.

LLM-Powered APIs

Create backend services that leverage multiple AI models with unified interface.

What's great

Unified API for multiple LLM providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, etc.)
Real-time streaming responses out-of-the-box
Framework-agnostic: works with React, Next.js, Vue, Svelte, Node.js
Built-in fallback mechanisms for production reliability
Rich UI hooks for building generative interfaces (AI SDK UI)

Technical strengths

Deep integration with Vercel ecosystem (Gateway, Sandbox, Workflows)
Native support for structured data generation and tool calling

Where it falls short

Primarily optimized for TypeScript/JavaScript stack
Advanced features (Sandbox, Workflows) tied to Vercel platform
Potential vendor lock-in with Vercel-specific services
Rapid API evolution may cause breaking changes

Technical limitations

Complex multi-agent orchestration requires additional patterns

For technical folks

The deep-dive specs

FAQ

Includes technical Q&A

An open-source TypeScript toolkit for building AI apps. Primarily for frontend/full-stack developers using React, Next.js, Vue, or other modern frameworks who need to integrate LLMs.