AI for Web Development: Tools and Trends You Need to Know About

With the growing artificial intelligence trends, it’s no surprise that this technology has made strides in the web development world. Individuals who are new or veterans in web development can utilize tools like ChatGPT to streamline the coding process. We’re going to dive into the many ways you can incorporate AI into your daily work tasks to achieve higher productivity and efficiency. Plus, our developer Austin Amento will pop in to share some cool tools you can use to your advantage!

Code Generation & Assistance

Platforms like GitHub Copilot, for instance, provide AI-driven code suggestions, allowing developers to write cleaner, more efficient code in less time. These AI assistants can understand the context of what a developer is working on and offer real-time suggestions, speeding up the development process and reducing the likelihood of errors.

ChatGPT can also assist with code generation and fix any bugs you may be experiencing. Check out this quick tutorial on how to do just that:

Some other ways tools like ChatGPT can assist you is by translating what a certain section of code means if you’re rather new to a database. It’s just another way to streamline tasks and reduce the hassle it takes to ask a senior member of your team for help. One of our developers, Austin Amento, goes over how he does this in the video below.

Another tool we’ve found useful is Cursor, which even allows you to generate and edit code with natural language prompts. Plus, it’s free to download, making it easy to add to your tech stack. One way Cursor differs from ChatGPT is that it has the code base in context when it communicates with LLMs, streamlining the process involved with establishing naming conventions and troubleshooting.

Void is another alternative to Cursor that allows for more open-source flexibility. This tool offers third-party integrations and plenty of intuitive features you can play around with — basically the coding assistant you’ve been dreaming of.

Automated Testing

One of the most time-consuming aspects of web development is testing. Ensuring that websites and applications are free of bugs and work across different devices and browsers is crucial. AI tools like ChatGPT are now able to automatically generate and run tests, identifying bugs or inconsistencies much faster than manual testing methods. Tools like Testim and Applitools are some other options you can use that reduce the time-consuming task of testing your code.

Some AI-driven analytics can predict potential failure points by evaluating datasets from past tests and user interactions. This predictive capability allows developers to address issues proactively. Additionally, the integration of machine learning algorithms can enhance the testing process by learning from previous test results and continuously improving the accuracy of future tests. This not only streamlines the QA process but also empowers teams to focus on more complex aspects of development, such as user experience design and feature innovation, ultimately leading to a more polished final product.

Creating Code Documentation

When you’re crafting code for a website that you're developing for a client, you always should provide some documentation that clearly explains what certain components do, how they can use some of the features, etc. We’ve found that ChatGPT helps expedite this process and has the capability to explain your code in simpler terms, perfect for those who are less familiar with the language.

Fix Bugs & Security Issues

Some AI tools even help you identify security vulnerabilities within your code so that you can fix the problems before they become bigger issues. Snyk not only does this but it provides actionable advice for you to take to resolve errors:

Overall, Snyk is a great option for maintaining compliance within your open-source environment and provides clear reports that identify security risks that need to be addressed.

Real-Time Coding Suggestions

AI-powered tools such as GitHub CoPilot can help you while you work on web applications. It offers suggestions along the way that coincide with the context of your project. This type of tool can reduce the time spent on researching and more time coding. Simply start typing and the suggestions will populate for you. 

GitHub CoPilot is knowledgeable in many different coding languages, so it can assist you within most environments. 

Streamline Web Design

Some other types of tools for web development can assist you with designing and copywriting content for your website. Divi AI is a great example, allowing you to generate ideas instead of starting from scratch. This design tool can help create imagery and write copy that matches the tone you’re looking to use for your website. Divi can also help you write code similar to the previous development AI tools we’ve mentioned. 

Once you generate the foundational needs for your website, we always recommend going in and reviewing what AI has created and customizing it from there. Many other tools give you the ability to access a plethora of AI-generated imagery for your website, just make sure you add your personal touch wherever possible — you’ll stand out from the crowd this way and add a unique touch to generic content that AI gathered from pre-existing content already on the web. 

The Benefits of AI and Automation in Web Development

The integration of AI and automation into web development processes offers several key benefits:

Increased Efficiency

By automating repetitive tasks, developers can focus on more complex aspects of web development, speeding up project timelines and reducing costs.

Enhanced Accuracy

AI tools help minimize human error, leading to cleaner, more reliable code and fewer bugs in production. With any machine learning tool, you always want to review what it produces, but it takes out the manual step of starting from scratch.

Better User Experience 

AI-powered personalization allows for more engaging, customized experiences, which in turn leads to higher user satisfaction and retention.

Faster Time-to-Market 

Automation tools streamline development workflows, enabling businesses to launch websites and updates more quickly than ever before.

Key Takeaways on AI Tools for Web Development

While utilizing the tools we mentioned, it’s still important to fully understand the code you’re working with as AI is not always perfect. Becoming an expert in the code will help you minimize the number of mistakes and bugs you must fix. However, these tools are useful in troubleshooting your mistakes when they occur — simply have ChatGPT explain the code to you and it can usually help you see where the mistake was made.