PoliChat

PoliChat is a React-based chatbot application that enables users to engage in political debates with an AI that always argues the opposing viewpoint. The backend is powered by FastAPI and connects to the OpenAI API to generate responses. PoliChat also includes text-to-speech functionality, allowing users to speak to the chatbot and hear responses read back in a natural voice.

Features

• Adversarial Political Debate
  The chatbot always takes the opposite side of the user’s argument, providing harsh, blunt, and logically constructed counterarguments. Responses are concise, capped at five sentences.

• FastAPI Backend
  A Python FastAPI server handles requests, communicates with the OpenAI API, and delivers responses to the React frontend.

• CORS-Enabled API
  Configured with CORSMiddleware to support cross-origin requests during development.

• Environment Variable Management
  API keys and sensitive information are managed securely with .env files using python-dotenv.

• Speech Synthesis (TTS)
  The frontend integrates the Web Speech API (window.speechSynthesis) to read AI responses aloud, with customizable voice, rate, and pitch.

Tech Stack

• Frontend: React, Web Speech API
  
• Backend: FastAPI (Python), Pydantic, CORSMiddleware
  
• AI: OpenAI API (gpt-4o-mini model)
  
• Utilities: dotenv for environment variables
  

Project Structure

• Backend (main.py)

  • Loads environment variables
    
  • Configures FastAPI app with CORS
    
  • Defines /chat endpoint for handling user messages and returning AI responses
    

• Frontend (src/utils/speak.js)

  • Implements text-to-speech functionality using the Web Speech API
    
  • Selects available system voices and configures speech rate and pitch
    

Built With

• fastapi
• javascript
• openai
• python
• react