Contents
In this digital age, the integration of AI into applications has become not just a trend but a necessity. This guide will walk you through how to leverage the power of AI through APIs from some of the leading providers: Grok, xAI, ChatGPT, DALL-E and Gemini.
xAI (AKA Grok)
Grok is an AI chatbot developed by xAI, a company founded by Elon Musk.
It was launched in November 2023 and is designed to be a conversational AI with a sense of humor and wit. The name “Grok” comes from a term in Robert A. Heinlein’s science fiction novel Stranger in a Strange Land meaning to understand something intuitively
Example in bash
curl https://api.x.ai/v1/chat/completions \\
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \\
-H "Authorization: Bearer $XAI_API_KEY" \\
-d '{
"messages": [
{
"role": "system",
"content": "You are Grok, a chatbot inspired by the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy."
},
{
"role": "user",
"content": "What is the meaning of life, the universe, and everything?"
}
],
"model": "grok-beta",
"stream": false,
"temperature": 0
}'ChatGPT API
ChatGPT is developed by OpenAI, known for its conversational AI capabilities. It has evolved through several iterations, with the latest updates focusing on integrating more advanced models like GPT-4o, which not only handles text but also images and sounds, reducing the need for separate models like DALL-E for images or Whisper for voice.
Example in python
import openai
openai.api_key = 'your-api-key'
messages = [
{"role": "system", "content": "You are a helpful assistant."},
{"role": "user", "content": "Tell me a joke."}
]
response = openai.ChatCompletion.create(
model="gpt-3.5-turbo",
messages=messages
)
reply = response['choices'][0]['message']['content']
print(reply)DALL-E API
DALL-E, also from OpenAI, is renowned for its ability to generate images from textual descriptions. Its integration with ChatGPT, especially with the advent of DALL-E 3, has made it possible to generate images directly within text conversations.
Example in python
import openai
openai.api_key = 'your-api-key'
response = openai.Image.create(
prompt="A robot wearing a hat and sunglasses",
n=1,
size="256x256",
response_format="b64_json"
)
image_data = response['data'][0]['b64_json']
with open("robot.png", "wb") as f:
f.write(base64.b64decode(image_data))
Gemini API
Developed by Google, Gemini represents Google’s push into advanced generative AI, aiming to compete directly with the likes of ChatGPT. Initially known as Bard, it has since been rebranded and enhanced significantly.
Example in python
import google.generativeai as genai
genai.configure(api_key='your-api-key')
model = genai.GenerativeModel('gemini-pro')
response = model.generate_content("Write a story about a magic backpack.")
print(response.text)Closing thoughts
Accessing the API of major generative AIs is actually much more straightforward that one would think. Costs are incredibly cheap for the value you get and integration into your programs (especially python) is as simple as making a single call to the API.
The Free AI Exam Guide
If you’re interested in taking your first steps into AI certification, be sure to checkout my free guide on preparing for the Microsoft AI Fundamentals Exam (AI-900).
You can download the PDF here.
