AI vs Web developers: teammates or competitors?

The (real) benefits of AI for devs

Artificial intelligence can be a powerful ally, especially when it comes to boosting productivity and optimizing workflows. Need to generate an HTML skeleton, understand a tricky JavaScript bug, or quickly test a REST API? No worries. Tools like GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, and Tabnine have got you covered.

These smart assistants can generate code, explain errors, fix inconsistencies, and even suggest performance improvements. They’re available 24/7, never take coffee breaks, and never complain about formatting. In short, AI acts as a digital teammate, fast and efficient, helping you go further… as long as you keep a critical eye.

But beware of the dark side

Obviously, not everything is perfect in the realm of robots. By delegating too much, the real risk is that you might lose fine control of your craft. Copy-pasting generated code without understanding the logic behind it is a trap that awaits the less cautious.

Excessive dependency can weaken technical intuition, reduce the ability to debug independently, and lower the overall code quality. Another limitation: AIs are not always up-to-date. They may suggest outdated, insecure, or simply unsuitable code for the situation.

Not to mention the ethical issues related to training data: bias, intellectual property, confidentiality… A well-informed developer is worth two.

The final word: collaboration, not replacement

AI will not replace web developers. What it does change, however, is the way we work. It redefines priorities: less repetition, more strategy, architecture, UX… In short, it pushes us to focus on what machines cannot (yet) do.

The developers of tomorrow will be those who know how to leverage these new tools while maintaining control over their logic, discipline, and creativity.

In the end, AI is a revolutionary toolbox, but it doesn’t code for you. It codes with you.