The collapse of web coding gigs is getting ugly — AI takes over routine website development jobs, and business owners are very happy with its job so far
AI website builders are reducing reliance on developers, with freelance postings falling sharply as small businesses increasingly create websites independently.
Recent research conducted by Bluehost reveals that 53% of American business owners have turned to AI for website creation, rather than employing professional developers. This shift has led to a significant drop in website development job postings, with a 59% decline since early 2024. Freelancers specializing in PHP, WordPress, and HTML development have faced particularly hard times, with these categories experiencing an 59%, 58%, and 55% reduction in job opportunities respectively.
Business owners who have adopted AI website generators report substantial savings, averaging $850 and 32 hours of work compared to working with traditional developers. While 72% of business owners expressed strong approval for the AI-generated websites, it appears most still modify the initial output, with 61% tweaking content and 60% altering visual elements.
Despite these positive experiences, 50% of business owners are hesitant to disclose their reliance on AI technology to their customers, suggesting a cautious approach despite the overall satisfaction with AI-generated websites.
Written by urgent.news from TechRadar's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
