There’s a shift happening in how we build for the web. It’s not about AI replacing developers. It’s about how it can amplify the projects we build for clients.
I’ve been experimenting. While I step away to make a cup of tea, AI is helping to scaffold components.
Not something we’d ship as-is. But structured starting points that already reflect how we design and build. I’m letting it handle things like consistent layouts, repeatable components, sensible defaults for content. And it does that bit well. Plus, it means more time for tea.
The interesting part of this isn’t the speed. It’s how fast AI can start aligning with the way your team works. If your approach is across projects is consistent, the more useful it becomes.
These tools can apply familiar layout logic and make sensible assumptions about how things should behave. Full disclosure: it’s not perfect, but it’s directionally right.
And that changes how we spend our time.
A lot of development work starts from scratch. New component, new layout, new file. Repeat the same setup process ad nauseam. That nauseam is what AI is going to change. Instead of beginning with a blank file, we’re starting with something that already has shape: the right structure in place, the usual patterns followed and the common decisions already made.
Not doing the thinking for us, but it is removing the repetition.
Which means more time goes into refining the implementation, improving the experience and getting the details right.
I’ve shifted my view on it from doing my job for me to more junior developer who can lay some serious groundwork.
It can draft initial structures, following conventions and suggesting sensible defaults. But it still needs direction, review and refinement. That’s where the value sits. From there I’m freed up for clearer thinking around overarching structure, flexibility and consistency.
And it’s worth saying – none of this replaces responsibility. Like working with a junior developer, everything goes through a level of review, testing and refinement. Security, accessibility and performance aren’t things we leave to chance. They’re built into how we work.
AI helps us move faster at the start, but the final result is still shaped, checked and validated by an experienced developer. If anything, it gives us more time to focus on getting those fundamentals right.
But that’s not all. This isn’t just an internal workflow improvement. It has a direct impact on the end result. When builds are approached this way, components are more consistent across the site and content editing becomes more intuitive. Updates are easier and less risky and projects are less dependent on any one individual.
This isn’t about cutting corners. It’s about freeing up time to focus on the parts that always mattered most. Problem solving, user experience and refining the details that elevate the final product. The user.
We’re still early in this shift. Right now, it’s moments like components taking shape while the kettle’s boiling that give us a peek into the future.
AI works best when it’s supporting a well-structured way of working. It won’t fix messy thinking – it will amplify it.
That’s the part of AI in web development that matters most. It’s only just getting started.
