Connecting and working with other web professionals is one of my favorite parts of this industry. Web designers are always willing to share what they know, and that benefits everyone. I can’t begin to measure how much I’ve learned thanks to this generous spirit.
There are also opportunities to build professional relationships. We hire each other for coding tasks, marketing, support, or even business consulting. It’s a way to expand our capabilities and boost revenue, not to mention the new products and services that were launched as a result of these relationships.
Like everything else in our industry, artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to impact these professional bonds. We’re experimenting with this technology, looking for ways to make us leaner and more productive. Perhaps we’re in the early stages. But it’s reasonable to assume that there will be a human cost to adopting AI.
Let’s look at the potential benefits and drawbacks of going all-in on AI and its impact on our relationships.
Greater Productivity and Expanded Capabilities
If there’s one thing we’ve discovered about AI, it’s the relative ease with which it writes code. It can spin up a new WordPress plugin (or a framework for one) within a few minutes. It can also troubleshoot a code snippet in the blink of an eye.
These tasks used to take hours, days, or weeks to complete. AI has saved me from countless searches of support forums and blog posts. In some cases, I might have broadcast my pain points on social media, hoping for a kind soul to offer advice.
These days, AI generally points me in the right direction. There are several positive aspects to this arrangement.
For one, I feel more self-sufficient when working with code. Perhaps that’s ironic, as the machine is writing the code for me. Still, there’s something to be said about not placing my burden on anyone else.
AI also improves my productivity and expands my capabilities. Those client requests that used to drive me crazy aren’t as stressful these days. It’s not always easy, but I’m still producing solutions faster than ever.
What’s the downside? An individual working this way might not have a big impact. The problem arises when we use AI for all the things at scale.
Web Developers Working in Silos
The cumulative effect of “doing it ourselves” with AI is less collaboration. For example, why would I send a task to a fellow freelancer if I can perform it with AI? I’m saving time and money.
Agencies that rely on contractors will do the same thing. They’ll have less incentive to outsource all or some of a project because AI is cheaper and easier. Never mind that it potentially adds more to an employee’s plate.
This will result in fewer gigs for some of us. There will be an economic impact, as we’ll lose some of the recurring revenue we depend on. It will also require a shift to building our own things, rather than building for others.
The other potential side effect is becoming more insulated from the community around us. We might find ourselves interacting more with bots than people (it’s already the case for me). We could be less likely to share what we’re doing or explore what others have done.
If we’re not careful, it might also lead to less in-person interaction. AI won’t make conferences and WordCamps irrelevant. However, some may feel less desire to learn from other humans. Again, why travel and sit through a session when AI will do whatever I want?
Sharing knowledge is such a big part of what web professionals do. Once we’re past the experimentation phase of AI, we might have fewer tips to share – not to mention fewer people willing to listen.
Let’s Keep the Human Element in Web Design
For all the amazing things AI can do, it shouldn’t replace what makes the web design industry so unique. We are a community of thinkers and doers. We’re at our best when working together.
Just think, the open-source movement wouldn’t be where it is today without collaboration. People built the foundation of this work. Technologies like AI can contribute, but only humans can be the thinking and breathing stewards of such projects.
I hope we don’t lose sight of what we’ve accomplished. In the rush to use AI for this and that, we shouldn’t leave our traditions behind. If anything, we should use technology to create more time for human interaction.
Less time working, more time getting together. That sounds like a better future to me!
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