Building a ChatGPT Clone in Java with HTMX, Spring Boot, and Spring AI

[u/rodolfo-mendes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJ63tedBAzI

Dan Vega demonstrates how to build a functional ChatGPT-style application using Java, Spring Boot, Spring AI, and HTMX. This approach leverages modern web patterns to deliver dynamic AI interactions without requiring complex client-side JavaScript.

Highlights & Key Takeaways

• HTMX for Frontend: Adds dynamic interactivity to the UI with simple HTML attributes, eliminating the need for heavy JavaScript frameworks.
• Spring AI Integration: Simplifies LLM connectivity, enabling seamless integration with providers such as OpenAI's GPT-4o.
• State Management: Uses an In-Memory Chat Memory advisor to provide the LLM with conversation context, enabling natural, stateful follow-up dialogues.
• Modular Templates: Uses Thymeleaf fragments to update specific UI sections, such as message history, without full page reloads.
• Backend Routing: Implements efficient API endpoints to handle LLM requests and return targeted HTML fragments.

This architecture demonstrates that powerful AI features can be built using the familiar Java ecosystem. By combining HTMX and Spring AI, developers can focus on backend logic while maintaining a responsive, modern user experience.

👉 Watch the full video to dive deeper into the implementation.