In today’s rapidly evolving web development landscape, the question of what users expect from a website builder in 2023 is on the minds of startups and established players. With generative AI driving changes, the relevance of no-code drag-and-drop interfaces is being questioned. As the industry adapts, Wix, a long-standing web building platform, believes that users no longer wish to spend excessive time customizing every aspect of their website’s appearance.
To address this, Wix has unveiled its latest tool, the AI Site Generator. This innovative solution allows Wix users to describe their intentions, prompting the tool to generate a complete website. It includes a homepage, inner pages, text, images, and business-specific sections like events and bookings. Avishai Abrahami, co-founder and CEO of Wix, explains that the objective is to provide customers with tangible value as they build and expand their businesses online.
While the AI Site Generator marks Wix’s most ambitious venture into AI, it is not their first exploration of the technology. The platform previously launched AI-powered tools such as text creators and domain generators. According to Abrahami, Wix’s adoption of AI is driven by its potential to simplify the process of building backend functionality, infrastructure, and payment capabilities for websites. This focus on convenience is particularly beneficial for small businesses, which often struggle to establish and maintain their online presence.
The AI Site Generator employs a combination of in-house and third-party AI systems to transform user prompts and descriptions into personalized web templates. Utilizing ChatGPT for generating text content and Wix’s AI for designing the site and generating images, the tool aims to streamline the website creation process. What sets Wix’s AI Site Generator apart is its automatic integration of e-commerce, scheduling, food ordering, and event ticketing components based on the customer’s specific requirements.
It’s important to note that Wix recognizes the limitations of AI and acknowledges the continued need for human designers. Users are not limited to the AI-generated designs; they can leverage Wix’s comprehensive suite of editing tools, including both manual and AI-driven options, to make further adjustments and tailor their websites to their preferences.
In addition to the AI Site Generator, Wix has plans to introduce additional editing capabilities. These include an AI page and section creator that will enable users to effortlessly add new pages or sections to their sites by describing their needs. Wix is also developing an object eraser that will allow users to extract and manipulate objects from images. Furthermore, an AI assistant tool will offer personalized strategies and suggestions for site improvements based on analytics and trends.
While the AI revolution brings significant opportunities, concerns about content quality and abuse arise. Wix is aware of these risks and employs various tools to combat spam and abuse, prioritizing user safety and digital rights. The company aims to create a secure online environment and prevent the generation of inappropriate content through AI models and moderation techniques.
As the web development landscape continues to evolve, Wix remains committed to exploring the potential of AI in reducing complexity and delivering value to its users. The success of Wix’s AI-driven approach in meeting user expectations and addressing challenges will become evident in due course.
