Building an AI chatbot sounds cooler than it feels when you’re knee-deep in broken prompts and weird behavior. But hey — I survived. And I learned a lot.
This was my first real attempt at using an LLM (large language model) in an actual project, and I wanted to keep it simple: just a basic Python chatbot that uses the OpenAI API, remembers a bit of context, and responds to questions semi-intelligently.
💡 The Plan Was Simple
I wired up a basic interface with Python and Flask, set up an OpenAI key, and let the chatbot take input from a form. I wanted it to:
Hold short conversations
Avoid repeating itself
Be useful (or at least polite)
🐛 The Bugs Got Weird
Here’s the thing: LLMs are like improv actors. They’ll make stuff up if you’re not specific enough. I gave it a vague prompt like “You are a helpful assistant,” and it went rogue. One time it answered in French, even though I was asking it about Laravel.
After some digging, I learned:
Prompt engineering matters a lot. Small changes in wording = big differences in output.
You need to control the context window or it will forget what you asked two messages ago.
Debugging “AI behavior” is a mix of logic, guessing, and straight-up vibes.
🧰 What Actually Helped
Here’s what made it work:
System messages: Clear instructions like “You are a coding assistant who answers concisely” really helped.
Simple UI: I didn’t overcomplicate the front end. HTML + Flask kept things lightweight.
Testing everything: I used Postman to test different prompt styles before wiring them into the chatbot.
🎯 What I’d Do Differently
If I built it again (and I probably will), I’d:
Add memory with a real database to handle longer chats
Limit user inputs to avoid garbage or inappropriate prompts
Use streaming output for a more real-time feel
🚀 Final Thoughts
Was it perfect? No.
Was it useful? Kind of.
Was it fun? Absolutely.
The project reminded me that working with AI isn’t about perfection — it’s about experimenting, learning, and adjusting your expectations. If you’ve been thinking of trying something similar, do it. Break it. Rebuild it. It’s the best way to learn.