The impact of AI on web development
The web development landscape is experiencing a seismic shift with the integration of artificial intelligence.
As a custom web development studio specialising in Craft CMS solutions, we've watched this transformation closely — not with fear, but with a nuanced understanding of where AI genuinely adds value and where human expertise remains irreplaceable.
The AI productivity revolution
There's no denying that AI has fundamentally changed how we approach certain aspects of development. Tools powered by large language models have become invaluable for streamlining workflows, debugging complex code, and accelerating repetitive tasks. For developers who embrace these tools strategically, productivity gains can be substantial.
AI excels at pattern recognition, code completion, and suggesting solutions to common programming challenges. When you're knee-deep in a complex JavaScript function or troubleshooting a CSS layout issue, having an AI assistant that can quickly propose solutions or identify potential bugs is genuinely transformative. The time saved on these tasks can be redirected towards the strategic, creative work that truly differentiates exceptional web development from mediocre results.
The template trap: Why AI-generated websites fall short
However, the rise of AI has also spawned a proliferation of tools promising to "build your website in minutes" or "create professional websites with no coding required." While these platforms may seem appealing on the surface, they represent a fundamental misunderstanding of what makes a website truly effective.
AI-generated websites from scratch typically rely on templates, generic design patterns, and cookie-cutter solutions. They lack the strategic thinking that goes into understanding a business's unique value proposition, target audience, and competitive landscape. The result? Websites that look like every other AI-generated site — devoid of personality, poorly optimised for specific business goals, and unable to adapt to unique functional requirements.
These automated solutions might produce something that technically qualifies as a "website," but they can't deliver the strategic architecture, custom functionality, or brand-aligned design that drives real business results. They're the digital equivalent of fast fashion: quick to produce, but lacking in quality, longevity, and distinctiveness.
Why custom development remains irreplaceable
At its core, custom web development is a deeply human endeavour. It requires:
Strategic Vision: Understanding a client's business objectives and translating them into a digital experience that drives meaningful outcomes. AI can't sit in a discovery session and truly understand the nuances of your market positioning or competitive advantages.
Design Thinking: Creating a visual language that authentically represents a brand while ensuring intuitive user experiences. Design is about empathy, cultural awareness, and aesthetic judgement — qualities that remain distinctly human.
Architectural Decision-Making: Determining the right technology stack, content structure, and scalability approach for each unique project. These decisions require weighing trade-offs that AI simply can't evaluate without human context.
Problem-Solving in Context: Every custom website presents unique challenges that don't have template solutions. Whether it's integrating with legacy systems, creating bespoke functionality, or optimising for specific user journeys, these require creative problem-solving that goes far beyond pattern matching.
When we build websites on Craft CMS, we're not just assembling components — we're architecting digital experiences that are purpose-built for each client's specific needs. This level of customisation, strategic thinking, and craftsmanship will never be replicated by AI generation tools.
Where AI genuinely excels: The smart integration
That said, we'd be foolish to ignore the genuine advantages AI brings to the custom development process. The key is using AI as a tool to enhance human expertise, not replace it.
Code Optimisation: AI platforms are excellent at reviewing and optimising code for performance and best practices. When you've written a complex JavaScript function, AI can suggest more efficient approaches, identify potential performance bottlenecks, or flag security considerations you might have overlooked.
Content Generation: For website copy, meta descriptions, or placeholder content during development, AI can significantly speed up the content creation process. While the final copy always benefits from human editing and brand voice refinement, AI provides a strong starting point that saves hours of staring at a blank page.
Documentation: AI excels at generating code comments, documentation, and explaining complex code logic — tasks that are essential but time-consuming for developers.
Testing and Debugging: AI can help identify edge cases, suggest test scenarios, and even generate testing code, making quality assurance more comprehensive and efficient.
Our tool of choice: Why Claude stands out
In our studio, we've tested various AI platforms for development work, and Claude has emerged as our preferred tool — particularly for JavaScript optimisation and development tasks.
While ChatGPT and other platforms certainly have their strengths, we've found Claude to be superior for several key reasons:
Code Quality and Context: Claude consistently produces cleaner, more maintainable code with better adherence to best practices. When optimising JavaScript, it provides solutions that aren't just functionally correct but also elegant and performant.
Understanding Nuance: Claude demonstrates a stronger ability to understand the broader context of development challenges. Rather than just solving the immediate problem, it considers implications for the larger codebase and can provide insights about architecture and design patterns.
Longer Context Windows: For complex projects, Claude's ability to maintain context over longer conversations means we can have more productive, in-depth discussions about optimisation strategies without constantly re-explaining the project context.
Thoughtful Explanations: When Claude suggests code improvements, it provides clear reasoning for its recommendations. This educational aspect helps our development team continuously improve their skills rather than just blindly implementing suggestions.
For JavaScript specifically — which forms a critical part of creating interactive, dynamic experiences on Craft CMS websites — Claude's suggestions consistently result in more efficient, readable, and maintainable code.
The balanced path forward
The future of web development isn't about choosing between human expertise and AI capabilities — it's about strategically combining both. AI will continue to evolve and become more sophisticated, but the fundamental value of custom development — strategic thinking, creative problem-solving, and purpose-built solutions — will only become more valuable as generic AI-generated alternatives proliferate.
At CloudGray, we embrace AI as a productivity multiplier while maintaining our commitment to the craft of custom web development. We use tools like Claude to work more efficiently, not to replace the strategic thinking and creative expertise that defines truly exceptional digital experiences.
The websites that will succeed in the AI era won't be the ones generated fastest — they'll be the ones built with the most thoughtful integration of human creativity and AI-enhanced efficiency. That's the approach we're committed to, and it's the difference between a website that merely exists and one that drives real business value.
