Integrating ChatGPT with Node.js: Build Your Own AI Chatbot

#javascript #ai #beginners #node

Introduction

AI chatbots are revolutionizing how businesses and users interact with technology. By integrating ChatGPT with Node.js, you can build intelligent, conversational bots capable of answering queries, handling tasks, and improving customer experiences. In this blog, we’ll explore how to integrate OpenAI’s ChatGPT with a Node.js backend.

Prerequisites

Node.js installed
OpenAI API key (get it from OpenAI)
Basic knowledge of Express.js

Step 1: Set Up Your Node.js Project

mkdir chatgpt-chatbot
cd chatgpt-chatbot
npm init -y
npm install express axios dotenv

Create `.env` File

OPENAI_API_KEY=your_openai_api_key

Step 2: Create Express Server

`index.js`

const express = require('express');
const axios = require('axios');
require('dotenv').config();

const app = express();
app.use(express.json());

const OPENAI_API_KEY = process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY;

app.post('/chat', async (req, res) => {
  const { message } = req.body;

  try {
    const response = await axios.post(
      'https://api.openai.com/v1/chat/completions',
      {
        model: 'gpt-3.5-turbo',
        messages: [{ role: 'user', content: message }]
      },
      {
        headers: {
          'Authorization': `Bearer ${OPENAI_API_KEY}`,
          'Content-Type': 'application/json'
        }
      }
    );

    const reply = response.data.choices[0].message.content;
    res.json({ reply });
  } catch (error) {
    res.status(500).json({ error: 'Something went wrong' });
  }
});

app.listen(3000, () => console.log('Server running on http://localhost:3000'));

Step 3: Test Your Chatbot

Use Postman or a frontend interface to make a POST request:

Endpoint: http://localhost:3000/chat
Method: POST
Body (JSON):

{
  "message": "What is the capital of France?"
}

Response:

{
  "reply": "The capital of France is Paris."
}

Conclusion

You’ve just built a simple AI chatbot using Node.js and OpenAI’s ChatGPT API! This is a foundational setup that can be expanded with user sessions, database integration, or even a real-time UI with WebSockets. AI is the future—build something amazing!