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AI Chatbot

Introduction

The AI Chatbot is a simple web-based application that leverages AI to interact with users. This chatbot processes natural language input and generates meaningful responses, offering an engaging user experience. The project integrates front-end and back-end technologies, combining HTML, CSS, JavaScript for the user interface and Python with Flask for backend services.

Features

• Interactive Chat Interface: A clean, intuitive user interface for seamless communication with the chatbot.
• Dynamic AI-Powered Responses: Generates real-time responses based on user input.
• Customizable Backend: Built with Flask, allowing easy modification of the AI model or response logic.
• Cross-platform Compatibility: Works on modern browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.
• Open Source: Community contributions are encouraged to expand and improve the project.

Technology Stack

• Frontend:

  • HTML: Structure of the application.
  • CSS: Styling and design.
  • JavaScript: Dynamic interactions and logic.

• Backend:

  • Python (Flask): API handling and AI model integration.

• Optional: Node.js (for potential future features, such as real-time updates or external integrations).

Getting Started

Follow these steps to set up and use the AI Chatbot locally.

Prerequisites

Ensure the following are installed:

• Python 3.8+
• Node.js (optional for advanced features)
• A modern web browser (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, Edge)

Installation

Clone the Repository

Start by cloning the project repository:

git clone https://github.com/AI-GenZ/ai-chatbot.git
cd ai-chatbot

Setup on Linux and macOS

Backend Setup

1. Open a terminal and navigate to the project directory:

   cd ai-chatbot

2. Create a virtual environment:

   python3 -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate

3. Install the required Python dependencies:

   pip3 install flask flask-cors

4. Start the backend server:

   python3 server.py

   The server will start locally on http://localhost:5000.

Frontend Setup

1. Open the index.html file in your preferred web browser.
2. This launches the chatbot interface, which communicates with the backend to generate AI-powered responses.

Setup on Windows

Follow the same steps as above, but use the following commands where applicable:

• For creating a virtual environment:

  python -m venv venv
  venv\Scripts\activate

• Start the backend server:

  python server.py

Usage

1. Launch the frontend by opening the index.html file in your browser.
2. Type a message or question into the input box and press Send.
3. The chatbot will process your input and display its response in the chat interface.
4. Continue the conversation by entering more messages.

Contribution Guidelines

We welcome contributions! Please refer to our Contributing Guide for detailed instructions on how to:

• Fork the repository and set up your local environment.
• Submit high-quality pull requests.
• Adhere to the project’s coding standards and style guide.

For details, see:

• Code of Conduct
• Style Guide

Reporting Issues

If you encounter any bugs or have feature requests, please submit an issue via the GitHub Issue Tracker.

Testing

To ensure the chatbot works as expected:

1. Run the backend server and open the frontend in your browser.
2. Input sample messages and verify appropriate responses.
3. Check the browser console and backend logs for errors.

Roadmap

Planned features include:

• Integration with a database for storing user interactions.
• Real-time chat updates using WebSocket.
• Multi-language support.

License

This project is licensed under the Apache License 2.0. For details, see the LICENSE file.

Acknowledgments

We extend our gratitude to the open-source community and all contributors who have supported this project. Special thanks to the developers of Flask, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and other essential tools that make this project possible.

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