Every year brings a new “this changes everything” technology, and this year it is AI-assisted development. The honest version of the story is less dramatic than the headlines, but still genuinely useful.
Where AI is already pulling real weight
- Generating first-draft copy and content structure, which a human then edits and fact-checks.
- Speeding up repetitive coding tasks — boilerplate, test scaffolding, refactors — freeing developer time for architecture and problem-solving.
- Powering smarter on-site search and support chat, reducing friction for visitors trying to find information.
- Automating routine QA checks — broken links, accessibility issues, basic performance regressions.
Where it is not a replacement (yet, or maybe ever)
AI-generated code and copy both need a human who understands the business, the brand and the edge cases to review them. The agencies getting the most value are using AI to remove grunt work, not to skip judgment.
What this means if you are hiring for a website project
Ask any agency directly how they use AI in their process. The honest answer should sound like “it speeds up specific parts of our workflow” — not “the AI builds it” and not “we do not use it at all.” Both extremes are worth being skeptical of.