Troubleshooting Azure OpenAI Integration with NVIDIA’s Nemo Guardrails Version 0.14.0

Recently, I’ve encountered a technical hurdle while transitioning from NVIDIA’s Nemo Guardrails version 0.11.0 to version 0.14.0. My previous implementation, which utilized Azure OpenAI as the primary model, functioned seamlessly without any issues. However, upon upgrading to the latest version of Nemo Guardrails, I faced an unexpected error.

During my initial debugging, I thoroughly examined the configuration settings to ensure that the model was correctly referenced in the designated config folder. To my surprise, everything appeared to be in order; the model configuration was being passed accurately.

The specific error I encountered was as follows:

Module: .venv\Lib\site-packages\nemoguardrails\Ilm\models\langchain_initializer.py
Line: 193
Error: ModellnitializationError - Failed to initialize model 'gpt-40-mini' with provider 'azure' in 'chat' mode:
ValueError encountered in initializer_init_text_completion_model(modes=['text', 'chat']) for model: gpt-4o-mini
and provider: azure: 1 validation error for OpenAIChat Value error, Did not find openai_api_key,
please add an environment variable OPENAI_API_KEY which contains it, or pass openai_api_key as a named parameter.

The root of the problem seems to originate from the missing OPENAI_API_KEY. According to the error message, I need to either set this as an environment variable or provide it directly as a parameter. Unfortunately, the Nemo Guardrails documentation does not offer any clear guidance on changes in configuration for this upgrade, leaving me somewhat puzzled.

For those who might be experiencing similar challenges, it’s worth double-checking your environment variables and ensuring that the API key for OpenAI is set correctly. If you have successfully navigated this upgrade or have insights into changes that may have been implemented in version 0.14.0, your input would be greatly appreciated!

As we continue to adopt new tools and technologies, these kinds of obstacles are inevitable. However, sharing our experiences can help others in the community tackle issues head-on and drive successful integrations.