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Build a Custom AI Chatbot in 30 Minutes with OpenAI's API – A Step‑by‑Step Tutorial
1. What You'll Need Before You Start
- An OpenAI API key (sign up at platform.openai.com and create a new secret key).
- Basic familiarity with Python (or Node.js) and a code editor (VS Code recommended).
- A free account on a platform like Replit or a local environment with Python 3.8+ installed.
2. Setting Up Your Development Environment
- Create a new project folder and initialize a virtual environment (e.g., `python -m venv venv`).
- Install the official OpenAI Python package: `pip install openai python-dotenv`.
- Store your API key in a `.env` file (never commit it to GitHub) and load it with `python-dotenv`.
3. Writing Your First Chat Completion Request
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