How to Use the GPT-4 and ChatGPT API with OpenAI: A Guide for Beginners

Ahoy, me hearties! Gather 'round and lend me your ears, for I've a tale to share about a treasure more valuable than any chest of doubloons: the GPT-4/ChatGPT API from OpenAI! With this mighty tool at your disposal, ye can conjure up words and wisdom like the most eloquent of pirate captains.

In this article, we'll explore the OpenAI GPT-4/ChatGPT API and how to use it for your Python-based adventures. So grab your favorite parrot and let's set sail!

(Note: You need to have Beta access to GPT-4 API in order to use it)

Step 1: Install the OpenAI package

Before we embark on our journey, make sure ye have the right tools. Install the OpenAI package using pip:

pip install openai

Step 2: Import the necessary libraries

Once ye have the OpenAI package installed, import the required libraries into your Python script:

import openai

Step 3: Set your API key

To gain access to the powerful GPT-4/ChatGPT API, ye'll need an API key from OpenAI. Store it securely in your environment variables, and then use the following line to set the API key in your script:

openai.api_key = "OPENAI_API_KEY"

Step 4: Create a chat completion request

Now that ye have everything in place, it's time to harness the power of GPT-4 and ChatGPT! Create a chat completion request by calling the openai.ChatCompletion.create() method. In this example, we'll ask GPT-4 or ChatGPT to compose a message in the style of a pirate:

completion = openai.ChatCompletion.create( model="gpt-4", messages=[ {"role": "user", "content": "What's the best baseball team in the world?"} ] ) 

## Change model to "gpt-3.5-turbo" if you want to use ChatGPT

Here, we specify the model to be used, which in our case is "gpt-4". (Change model to "gpt-3.5-turbo" if you want to use ChatGPT) If We then provide an array of messages with their respective roles and content. In this example, we have a single message with the role "user" and the content containing our pirate-themed request.

Step 5: Extract and print the response

Once ye have sent your request to the GPT-4/ChatGPT API, it's time to extract the response and print it out. To do this, simply access the message content from the completion object:

print(completion.choices[0].message.content)

With this, ye shall see the generated text in the style of a pirate, as requested!

In conclusion, me hearties, the GPT-4/ChatGPT API from OpenAI be a powerful ally for those seeking to generate text like the finest of pirate captains. Follow these steps, and ye shall unlock a treasure trove of linguistic riches. So hoist the Jolly Roger and set sail with the GPT-4/ChatGPT API!

Complete code

import openai
openai.api_key = "OPENAI_API_KEY"

completion = openai.ChatCompletion.create(
  ## Change model to "gpt-3.5-turbo" if you want to use ChatGPT
  model="gpt-4",
  messages=[
    {"role": "user", "content": "What's the best baseball team in the world?"}
  ]
)

print(completion.choices[0].message.content)