You Will Design and Build Websites Faster with AI… or Won’t?!

So, AI is here, kicking down doors and making promises about effortless web design. In some respects, that’s not entirely false—throw in some keywords, let the algorithm do its thing, and you’ve got a website with AI, more or less. It sounds like magic, but is it? AI-generated websites tend to be fast, affordable, and, let’s be real, sometimes painfully generic. There’s a reason why human web developers are still around.

AI Web Builders: The Good Stuff

It’s Almost Instant

Waiting weeks for a developer or designer to piece together a website? Not with AI. These tools chew through data at ridiculous speeds, assembling layouts, choosing fonts, even structuring SEO without much human input. In a way, it feels like skipping to the final draft without the messy first attempts. You punch in some details, tweak a setting or two, and within minutes, a functional—if somewhat generic—AI-generated website appears.

It’s great for those who just need an online presence without much hassle. A restaurant, an event page, a freelancer portfolio? AI can handle those in its sleep. But, as fast as it is, speed comes at a cost. The final product might look nice at first glance, but will it actually work for your audience? Will it convert visitors into customers? AI doesn’t ask those questions. It assumes. And assumptions in business tend to be a little risky.

Cheap, Like Really Cheap

Web development isn’t exactly known for being budget-friendly. A professional agency can charge thousands, even for a basic site. AI, on the other hand, slides in with pricing that makes even the most frugal business owner think, “Well, why not?” Subscriptions for AI website builders are often a fraction of the cost of hiring a developer, and that’s tempting.

The catch? You’re not paying for customization. AI tools work within fixed parameters. You’re choosing from pre-made templates, slightly adjusting things, and calling it a day. Need a custom feature? Tough luck. Want it to integrate seamlessly with a backend system? Not happening. What starts as a cheap solution can become an expensive problem when you eventually outgrow it. And you will. Because business needs evolve, and AI templates don’t always keep up. Sometimes, paying more upfront actually saves money in the long run.

Zero Tech Skills Required

Building a website used to mean learning HTML, CSS, maybe a little JavaScript. Or, you had to pay someone who understood all that. AI web design changed the game by stripping the process down to clicking buttons and dragging widgets. You don’t have to think about databases or mobile responsiveness—AI handles those things behind the scenes.

For people who just want to be online without touching a line of code, this is huge. But let’s not pretend AI gets everything right. You might end up spending just as much time troubleshooting weird formatting issues or fighting with the settings because AI “optimized” something in a way that doesn’t actually work for you. And good luck fixing it yourself—because AI-generated code isn’t exactly human-friendly. It’s like trying to read a novel written entirely in shorthand. Possible? Sure. Enjoyable? Not even close.

Does the Heavy Lifting

AI doesn’t just build sites—it automates a lot of the stuff people tend to forget about. SEO, mobile responsiveness, accessibility—all baked in. Theoretically, you don’t have to think about meta tags, image compression, or even site structure, because AI already did.

In a way, it sounds like a dream. Except, well, it’s not that smart. AI-generated SEO is often just a collection of best practices without real strategy. It follows trends but doesn’t predict shifts. It optimizes, but not always in a way that makes sense for your business. And automated accessibility? Often, that’s just AI checking boxes rather than ensuring a genuinely inclusive experience. The reality is that AI is a tool, not a strategist. It can execute tasks, but if you want results, someone still needs to think critically about what those tasks should be.

Customization… Sort of

AI website builders love to advertise “full customization,” which is true—if you think changing colors and swapping out text counts as customization. In reality, you’re playing within a limited sandbox. Sure, you can adjust some settings, maybe shuffle the layout a bit, but you’re still bound to AI’s predefined structure. It’s like decorating a pre-furnished apartment: you can move things around, but you can’t tear down walls.

The deeper problem? AI doesn’t understand branding. It can match colors and fonts, but it won’t capture the essence of a brand’s personality. If you’re aiming for something unique, AI-generated websites might leave you feeling boxed in. Businesses that want a site to truly reflect their identity—not just look like another template with a different logo—will eventually feel the need to break out of AI’s constraints. And when that happens, they’ll need a developer.

The Not-So-Great Side of AI Web Builders

Same, Same, But… the Same

There’s a reason AI-generated websites all kind of look alike. AI is pattern-driven. It scans thousands of existing sites, finds the commonalities, and spits out something that fits within those lines. That’s great if you want something “safe,” but not so great if you want something memorable.

The internet is drowning in websites that look polished but forgettable. A small business trying to stand out? A brand looking to make an impression? AI won’t help much there. It’s not built to take creative risks. It plays it safe. And in an online world full of noise, safe doesn’t always cut it.

The Features Are… Limited, at Best

Need a contact form? AI’s got that. A simple blog? No problem. But if you need something more complex—like a membership system, interactive elements, or a custom dashboard—AI website builders start showing their limits fast. These tools thrive on simplicity. The moment you need flexibility, they start to struggle.

And sure, some AI builders allow integrations with third-party apps, but even that has limitations. You can only integrate what they support. If you need a specific feature that isn’t in their system? Too bad. That’s when you either abandon the idea or, more likely, hire a developer anyway.

Creativity? What Creativity?

AI is reactive, not imaginative. It takes existing ideas and rearranges them into something functional, but it doesn’t create something new. That’s fine for standard websites, but businesses looking for innovation? They won’t find it here.

Think about it: AI-generated sites might look clean, but do they feel alive? Do they tell a story? Probably not. They’re efficient, sure, but efficiency doesn’t always leave a lasting impression.

Scaling? Let’s Not Even Go There

Businesses grow. Websites should, too. But AI tools tend to lock you into rigid systems that aren’t built for expansion. Need custom databases? Advanced user roles? Large-scale automation? AI builders aren’t designed for that. Sooner or later, a serious business will need to move to something more flexible. And by that time, rebuilding from scratch is often the only option.

You Break It, Good Luck Fixing It

AI-generated websites are built on proprietary systems. That means if something goes wrong, your options are limited. You can’t tweak the code. You can’t call a developer to fix it. You’re stuck waiting for AI support, which may or may not be helpful. It’s all fun and games until your site crashes and AI has no idea why.

So, Do You Go AI or Hire Someone?

If you just need something basic, like a simple page for a side gig, AI might be totally fine. If your website is actually important—like, the kind of important where you need to make money from it—then, honestly, a developer is still your best bet. AI is fast, but fast doesn’t always mean good.

At the end of the day, the choice isn’t just about convenience. It’s about whether you’re cool with "good enough" or if you actually need something that works exactly the way you want it to. AI can get you moving quickly, but when things get real, you might still want a human behind the wheel.