Shipping Faster: How Hotwire Replaces React for AI Streaming

You don't need React for real-time AI

Most AI chat interfaces use React or Next.js for streaming responses. But with Hotwire's Turbo Streams, you get the same real-time experience with zero JavaScript framework overhead.

How Turbo Streams handles AI streaming

When a user sends a message, Sidekiq picks it up and streams the AI response token-by-token via Turbo Streams. The browser updates in real-time — no WebSocket configuration, no React state management, no build step.

The benefits

• Simpler stack — One language (Ruby), one framework (Rails), one deployment
• Faster development — No context switching between frontend and backend
• Better SEO — Server-rendered HTML, no hydration issues
• Smaller bundle — Stimulus controllers are kilobytes, not megabytes

The Rails AI Kit ships with 29 Stimulus controllers that handle everything from AI chat to drag-and-drop to currency toggles. No npm, no webpack, no build pipeline headaches.