DEV Community: Akintayo Mofeoluwa Richard

What I Learned While Connecting Modi's Chat Interface to Its AI

Akintayo Mofeoluwa Richard — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 14:06:27 +0000

Building Modi has taught me that getting an AI learning assistant to work properly involves more than just connecting an AI API.

One of the challenges I faced was connecting the questions users type into the chat interface to Groq, which powers Modi's AI responses. I also had to work on handling each user's data separately when they log in, applying the right database rules, and making sure the application has proper terms and conditions.

Another important part was considering UK GDPR and how user data should be handled.

These things made me realise how many parts need to work together to build an AI application.

Here are a few things I've learned:

Connecting the AI: The chat interface needs to send questions correctly and handle the responses it receives.
Managing user data: Each user should only be able to access the data they're authorised to see.
Database security: Rules need to protect users' information rather than relying only on what the interface allows.
Privacy and compliance: Terms and conditions are not enough on their own. User data must also be handled appropriately, with suitable privacy information and safeguards.

I'm still learning as I develop Modi, but these challenges have helped me understand that building software isn't only about making features work. It's also about making them reliable and protecting the people who use them.

For developers building AI applications: What has been the most challenging part for you: connecting the AI, managing user data, or securing the application?

WebDev #AI #Firebase #Privacy

Meet Modi: An AI-Powered Learning Assistant Built for Students

Akintayo Mofeoluwa Richard — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 13:23:24 +0000

Introducing Modi

Your learning. Your pieces. Your path.

We're building Modi, an AI-powered learning assistant within Modupath, with a simple idea in mind: explore how artificial intelligence can make learning more accessible, interactive, and organised for students.

Modi is a project created by Akintayo Mofeoluwa Richard, a young software developer passionate about AI, education, and building useful technology.

Why Modi?

Learning doesn't always happen in a classroom. Sometimes, students need another way to explore a topic, ask questions, practise what they've learned, or organise their study activities.

Modi is being developed to explore how AI-powered assistance and digital learning tools can support those needs.

Building with Technology

Modi brings together modern web technologies and AI services. Its development involves JavaScript, Node.js, Firebase, and Groq-powered AI services.

Building an educational application also means thinking about more than AI responses. The experience, reliability, authentication, data handling, and usefulness of the features all matter.

We're continuing to improve the project as development progresses.

Our Vision

Our goal is to explore technology that helps students take a more active role in their learning.

Modi is an ongoing project, and we want to keep learning, improving, and building based on real needs and useful feedback.

Explore Modi

🌐 Website: https://modupath-modi.vercel.app/app

👨‍💻 Creator's portfolio: https://software-portfolio-five-pi.vercel.app/

💻 GitHub: https://github.com/mofeoluwa155/modupath-modi

If you're interested in AI, education technology, or building software, we'd like to hear your thoughts.

What would make an AI learning assistant genuinely useful to you as a student?

— The Modi project

How I’m Building Modi: An AI-Powered Learning Assistant as a Student Developer

Akintayo Mofeoluwa Richard — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 13:03:02 +0000

I’m a Student Developer Building an AI Learning Assistant Called Modi

I've always been interested in technology, but I didn't want to spend all my time just learning about what other people were building. I wanted to build something of my own.

That is one of the reasons I started working on Modi, an AI-powered learning assistant within my project, Modupath.

I'm still a student, and I'm still learning. But I wanted to see what I could create if I took an idea seriously and kept working on it.

Where the Idea Came From

One thing that made me think differently about learning technology was how difficult it can be for students to get access to AI tools in some learning environments.

I started thinking about what a learning assistant designed with students in mind could look like.

That idea became Modi.

I didn't want it to be just another website with a chat box. I wanted to build something that could bring different learning tools together and give students a useful place to work.

Of course, having an idea is one thing. Actually building it is another.

Building It Has Taught Me a Lot

Working on Modi has taken me beyond simply designing a webpage.

I've worked with JavaScript, Node.js, Firebase, and AI APIs. I've also spent time connecting different parts of the application and working through the problems that come with making software function properly.

For example, an AI response appearing on a screen is only one part of the experience. There's also the work behind user authentication, saving information, connecting the frontend to the backend, and making sure things work as expected.

I've had to learn that a feature isn't really finished just because it looks good. It needs to work, too.

And when something doesn't work, you have to investigate it, test possible solutions, and keep learning.

I'm still improving Modi, so this is an ongoing process rather than a finished success story.

Why I'm Sharing This

I created this post because I want to start sharing more of what I build and learn.

Sometimes, when you see software developers online, you mostly see the finished product. You don't always see the learning, debugging, experiments, and changes that happen along the way.

I want to share more of that process.

I'm particularly interested in web development, artificial intelligence, and how technology can make learning more useful for students.

I also want to learn from developers who have more experience than I do. There is still a lot I don't know, and I'm fine with that. The important thing is to keep improving.

What's Next for Modi?

I want to keep improving the application, make the experience more useful, and learn from feedback.

I'm also working on becoming a better developer, not just building more features. That means paying attention to how software is designed, how it works behind the scenes, and how people actually use it.

If you're interested in seeing what I'm working on, here are a few links:

My portfolio: https://software-portfolio-five-pi.vercel.app/

I'm sharing this as the beginning of my journey on DEV, and I hope to share more practical lessons as I continue building.

If you're a developer, especially someone who's still learning, what's one thing building your own project has taught you that tutorials never did?