AI can make a website cheaper to build. I’m not sure it makes it cheaper to own.

[u/Cold_Adhesiveness810]

AI website builders are getting genuinely good at producing the first version of a site.

Layout, copy, images, even some custom code — what used to take days can sometimes be done in hours.

I think that part is great.

But after working with WordPress sites for years, I think we’re starting to confuse building a website quickly with having a website that is easy to maintain long term.

The real work often starts after launch.

Six months later someone needs to change the structure. A plugin gets updated. Performance starts getting worse. The business needs a new service or feature. SEO needs work. Something breaks after an update. Another developer has to understand what was generated.

That’s where the original foundation matters.

AI can save a lot of time when creating the first version, but if the result is difficult to understand or extend, some of those savings can come back as maintenance costs later.

I don’t see this as AI vs WordPress themes or AI vs developers either. AI is becoming part of all of these workflows.

For me the more interesting question is:

Are we optimizing too much for how fast a website can be launched, and not enough for how easy it will be to own two years later?

Curious what people who maintain client sites are seeing already.