R for the Rest of Us Podcast Episode 24: Simon Couch

In this episode, I chat with Simon Couch, a software engineer at Posit, where he develops open-source statistical software and maintains several R packages. Simon’s work spans AI-powered coding tools that enhance R workflows and improve efficiency.

We dive deep into his latest projects:

• {pal} (renamed to {chores}) – an AI-powered assistant that streamlines code updates and automates tedious R programming tasks.

• {gander} – an innovative tool that integrates AI into RStudio and Positron, allowing users to generate and modify code with natural language commands.

Simon shares how he transitioned from statistical modeling to AI-assisted programming and what he sees as the future of AI in data science. We discuss the practical use cases of LLMs in R, their limitations, and how data scientists can leverage AI to improve their workflows.

Watch the conversation on YouTube.

Important resources mentioned:

• Simon’s blog

• Tidyverse blog post on PAL & Gander

Connect with Simon on: 

• LinkedIn: Simon P. Couch

• Bluesky: @simonpcouch.com

• Mastodon: @simonpcouch@fosstodon.org

• X: @simonpcouch‬

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