Are you tired of using the same AI-powered chatbots available on the market? Do you want to build your own chatbot and customize it to your liking? Then, look no further! In this blog post, we'll walk you through a step-by-step guide on creating your very own AI bot using Python, Telegram, and OpenAI GPT models. Get ready to unleash the power of artificial intelligence right at your fingertips!

Before diving into the code, you'll need to create a new bot on Telegram. Follow these simple steps:

1. Open the Telegram app and search for the "BotFather" bot.
2. Start a chat with BotFather and send the command "/newbot" to create a new bot.
3. Choose a name and username for your bot. BotFather will provide you with a unique API token, which you'll need later. Save it somewhere safe.

Clone the code repository from GitHub using the following command:

git clone https://github.com/emingenc/telegramGPT.git
cd telegramGPT

Install the required dependencies using the following command:

pip3 install -r requirements.txt

In our project, we have four main files:

1. telegram_bot.py: The main script that handles the Telegram bot's functionality.
2. gpt_message_handler.py: Contains functions for interacting with OpenAI's GPT models and managing chat history.
3. conf.py: A configuration file to store the list of allowed users.
4. requirements.txt: Lists the required Python libraries for the project.

Edit conf.py to add the usernames of users allowed to interact with your bot. For example:

users = ["your_telegram_username"]

You need to set up two environment variables: TELEGRAM_TOKEN (the API token you received from BotFather) and OPENAI_API_KEY (your OpenAI API key). You can either add them to your system's environment variables or use a .env file.

Start your bot by running the telegram_bot.py script:

python3 telegram_bot.py

Your bot is now up and running! Start a chat with your Telegram bot and see it in action.

Congratulations! You've just built your own chatbot using Python, Telegram, and OpenAI GPT models. Now you can enjoy the power of AI through a personalized, engaging chat experience on Telegram. Don't forget to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below. Happy coding!