10 Beginner AI Projects You Can Build (and Test with Playwright)

If you’ve been wanting to finally build something with AI — this is your sign.
Whether you’re just getting started or you’ve been tinkering with models and APIs, these 10 beginner-friendly AI projects will help you learn by doing.

And because I believe in writing code that works — we’re also adding Playwright tests to each one. Let’s go! 👇🏽

1. Handwritten Digit Recognition (MNIST)

What you’ll build:
Train a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to recognize handwritten digits (0–9) using the MNIST dataset.

Why it’s great:

• Simple dataset, perfect for beginners
• Covers image preprocessing and model evaluation
• Easy to visualize results

Tutorial:
Handwritten Digit Recognition using CNNs (Keras)

Playwright Test Ideas:

• Simulate drawing a digit on a canvas, click “Submit,” and assert that the model prediction appears.
• Test for invalid input (empty canvas or invalid file).
• Verify that UI updates correctly after each prediction.

2. Chatbot with the OpenAI API

What you’ll build:
A simple conversational chatbot using the OpenAI API and Python.

Why it’s great:

• Helps you learn NLP and API integration
• You can deploy this in minutes with Flask or FastAPI
• Great for showing off conversational AI skills

Tutorial:
Build an AI Chatbot with Python and the OpenAI API

Playwright Test Ideas:

• Type a message like “Hello” → assert that a response appears.
• Send multiple messages → verify chat scroll and state.
• Send an empty message → assert proper error message.

3. Image Classification (Cats vs Dogs)

What you’ll build:
A model that classifies images as “cat” or “dog” — or any two categories you like.

Why it’s great:

• Excellent for transfer learning (using pre-trained models like MobileNet or ResNet)
• Quick visual feedback when testing results

Tutorial:
Image Classification for Beginners

Playwright Test Ideas:

• Upload an image → assert the predicted label appears.
• Upload invalid file → assert error message appears.
• Test that image preview and classification results render properly.

4. Sentiment Analysis App

What you’ll build:
Analyze text (like tweets or reviews) and classify it as positive, negative, or neutral.

Why it’s great:

• Great introduction to NLP pipelines
• Easy to test and visualize results

Tutorial:
Sentiment Analysis in Python for Beginners

Playwright Test Ideas:

• Input “I love this product!” → expect “Positive.”
• Input “This is awful.” → expect “Negative.”
• Empty input → assert that the app asks for text.

5. Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) Chatbot

What you’ll build:
A chatbot that reads documents (like PDFs or notes) and answers questions about them.

Why it’s great:

• You’ll learn how to combine embeddings, retrieval, and LLMs
• Useful for documentation bots or internal knowledge tools

Tutorial:
Build a Local RAG from Scratch

Playwright Test Ideas:

• Upload a test document, ask a question, and assert that the response contains the right info.
• Invalid document upload → expect error message.
• Multiple documents → verify correct source is used.

6. Translator App 🌍

What you’ll build:
Translate text from one language to another using a language model or translation API.

Why it’s great:

• Simple but rewarding project
• Easy to deploy and test
• Great for exploring multilingual NLP

Tutorial:
Translator App for Beginners

Playwright Test Ideas:

• Input “Hello world,” select “Spanish,” expect “Hola mundo.”
• Unsupported language → show error message.
• Empty input → prompt user to enter text.

7. Spam Email Classifier

What you’ll build:
Detect spam emails or messages using NLP and basic classification.

Why it’s great:

• Simple dataset + clear output
• Perfect for understanding text feature extraction

Tutorial:
Spam Filtering Project Idea

Playwright Test Ideas:

• Input “You won a free iPhone!” → expect “Spam.”
• Input “Let’s meet tomorrow.” → expect “Not Spam.”
• Handle long messages gracefully.

8. Object Detection App 🎯

What you’ll build:
Detect objects in images or short videos — cars, people, or pets.

Why it’s great:

• Gets you into computer vision
• Impressive for demos and portfolios

Tutorial:
Beginner Object Detection Project

Playwright Test Ideas:

• Upload image with known object → verify bounding box and label.
• Invalid file upload → expect error.
• Test with sample video → assert that detection runs.

9. Movie Recommendation System 🎬

What you’ll build:
Recommend movies (or products) based on user input and preferences.

Why it’s great:

• Teaches recommendation algorithms (content-based or collaborative filtering)
• Highly practical project

Tutorial:
Machine Learning Recommendation Projects

Playwright Test Ideas:

• Simulate user selecting movies they like → assert that recommendations update.
• New user → check that default recommendations show.
• Update preferences → expect recommendations to change.

10. Voice or Audio Classification 🔊

What you’ll build:
Use sound data to classify speech, identify a speaker, or detect a keyword (“Hey AI”).

Why it’s great:

• Adds multimodal AI experience
• Fun to demo in the browser

Tutorial:
Audio Classification in Python

Playwright Test Ideas:

• Upload audio file → assert correct label appears.
• Invalid file → show error.
• Long audio → check timeout and error handling.

🗂 Quick Summary Table

#	Project	What You’ll Build	Tutorial Link	Playwright Test Focus
1️⃣	Digit Recognition (MNIST)	Recognize handwritten digits using CNNs	SitePoint	Draw + predict + handle invalid input
2️⃣	Chatbot with OpenAI API	Conversational bot using OpenAI + Python	Dataquest	Simulate chat + history + empty input
3️⃣	Image Classification	Classify images (e.g., cats vs dogs)	YouTube Tutorial	Upload + classify + invalid file
4️⃣	Sentiment Analysis App	Detect text sentiment (positive/negative/neutral)	GeeksforGeeks	Input + analyze + empty state
5️⃣	RAG Chatbot	Chatbot that reads your documents	AI Anytime	Upload doc + query + verify response
6️⃣	Translator App	Translate text between languages	Transphere	Input + select language + output
7️⃣	Spam Classifier	Classify text or emails as spam or not	Thestatisticsassignmenth	Input + classify + long text
8️⃣	Object Detection App	Detect objects in images or video	That LadyDev	Upload + detect + invalid file
9️⃣	Recommendation System	Suggest movies/products based on prefs	GeeksforGeeks	Preferences + recommend + update
🔟	Audio Classification	Classify voice or sound input	Wandb	Upload + classify + invalid audio

🧠 Bonus: Testing Tips

When you’re adding Playwright tests:

• Keep your backend AI logic separate from your UI.
• Use mock responses when you don’t want to hit the actual model during every test.
• Test both happy paths and edge cases — empty inputs, long text, invalid files.
• Add CI/CD integration so your tests run automatically when you push changes.
• Prepare small sample datasets for deterministic testing.

Ready to Build Your First AI App?

Here’s your next step:
Pick one project from this list and build a simple, working version this week. Then, once it’s running, add your first Playwright test to verify that everything works end-to-end.

You’ll be amazed how much confidence testing gives you — not just in your code, but in yourself as a builder 💪🏽

If you start one of these projects, tag me @itsthatladydev — I’d love to see what you create!

✨ Until next time — keep learning, keep building, and keep thriving. ✨

Kedasha 💕