This course contains the use of artificial intelligence.
Most people use AI through a chat window. This course shows you how to put the same power inside your own code, safely, reliably, and without surprise bills.
Who this course is for
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Beginners and developers who want to use the OpenAI API in real projects
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Freelancers and agency owners who want to build AI features for clients
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Product managers and founders who need to understand what the API can do and cost
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Automation builders who want to move past no-code limits
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Students building a portfolio project with AI
What you will learn
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What the OpenAI API is and how it differs from ChatGPT
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How to create an account, set budget limits, and protect your API key
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How to make your first authenticated API call in Python
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How to compare models using your own test prompts, not guesswork
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How to choose the cheapest model that meets your quality bar
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How to write instructions and inputs that produce consistent output
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How to control response length and cost with token limits
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How to read responses, usage data, and response IDs
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How to handle 401, 400, 429, and 5xx errors with retries and backoff
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How to track spend per request and set a daily cost cap
Requirements
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Basic Python is helpful, but all code is provided and explained
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A computer with Python installed
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An OpenAI platform account (API usage is billed separately; a small budget is enough for the course)
Final project
You will build the Smart Reply Assistant, a command-line tool that classifies a customer message, drafts a reply in structured JSON, logs tokens and cost for every request, retries safely on errors, and stops when a daily spending cap is reached. You also get a rubric to grade your own work.
