Building Websites with AI: The Promise, The Pitfalls, The Path Forward

Artificial intelligence has taken massive strides in web design and development. Tools now exist that can whip up layouts, suggest colour palettes, and even generate entire websites with minimal human input. The appeal is obvious: speed, efficiency, and the thrill of seeing technology do the heavy lifting. Yet, for all the excitement, there’s a side of AI-powered website creation that can’t be ignored. Accessibility - a crucial aspect of modern web design - often gets overlooked by automated processes. Script-iT recently tested an AI-driven website builder for a single-page site, and the results highlighted several accessibility oversights. Let’s dive into what happened, why it matters, and how you can approach AI builders with a healthy dose of caution and curiosity.

The Allure of AI-Driven Web Design

Imagine having an idea for a website and seeing it come to life within minutes. AI tools promise to generate layouts, craft copy, and handle the technical details, freeing you to focus on your core message or business goals. It’s like having a virtual design assistant that never sleeps. There’s no need to fuss over colour theory or sweat the coding details. Instead, you provide prompts or fill out a quick questionnaire, and the AI handles the rest.

This can be especially attractive for small businesses, non-profits, or individuals who lack a dedicated web team. Budgets can be tight, time is often scarce, and the idea of launching a polished site without hiring a full design crew sounds almost too good to be true. For many, it’s a dream come true - until they discover the hidden pitfalls lurking beneath the shiny surface.

A Single-Page Experiment with Script-iT

We decided to test an AI builder by creating a simple one-page website. The mission was straightforward: see how well the AI handled everything from structure to compliance with accessibility guidelines. No human intervention was allowed beyond the initial instructions - no tweaking code, no adjusting headings, no refining alt text.

Once the AI had done its work, the team ran an accessibility audit. The results were enlightening, revealing multiple issues that might seem small at first glance but add up to a less inclusive experience for many users. Among the findings were:

1.  No label for a button elements
2. Insufficient normal text contrast
3. Missing or incorrect ARIA attributes
4. No headings on the page
5. No main or nav landmark
6. Missing href attributes
7. Issues with zooming disabled

Each of these errors poses a barrier to users who rely on assistive technologies like screen readers or keyboard navigation. Some are minor annoyances, while others can make a website nearly impossible to navigate for someone with a visual or motor impairment.

Why Accessibility Matters More Than Ever

It’s easy to dismiss these oversights as small technical glitches, but they carry real consequences. A button without a label might seem harmless until you realise that someone using a screen reader has no idea what that button does. Insufficient text contrast makes reading difficult for people with visual impairments or older monitors. Missing ARIA attributes can render dynamic elements invisible to assistive technology. And when entire headings and landmarks are absent, the page structure becomes a maze that’s hard to navigate.

Accessibility is not about ticking a legal checkbox or meeting a single guideline. It’s about creating an online space where everyone feels welcome, regardless of physical or cognitive ability. Websites that ignore these principles risk alienating potential customers, losing trust, and even facing legal ramifications. It’s not just about doing the right thing; it’s also good business.

The Reality Check: AI Isn’t a Silver Bullet

The test site built by AI shows that these tools, while impressive, aren’t foolproof. They excel at churning out a visually appealing design in record time, but their decision-making is based on patterns and data. They don’t inherently “understand” accessibility guidelines unless explicitly programmed to do so. And even if they do, they may not prioritise them correctly or adapt to nuanced situations that require a human touch.

Think of AI as a fast learner that can sometimes miss the bigger picture. It can craft a template, but it struggles to interpret the complexities of inclusive design. Accessibility involves empathy, real-world testing, and understanding the diverse ways users interact with digital spaces. Automated systems can mimic patterns, but empathy is a distinctly human quality. That’s why trusting AI entirely with your website’s accessibility can be risky.

Where AI Shines

None of this is to say that AI is a lost cause. These tools bring genuine value when used wisely. They can rapidly prototype designs, suggesting different layouts or colour schemes at the click of a button. They can handle routine coding tasks, freeing you to focus on strategy, content, and engagement. When integrated into a broader design and development workflow, AI can accelerate the process and reduce human error in certain repetitive tasks.

AI-driven platforms can also analyse massive data sets to predict user behavior, helping you tailor content more effectively. They can optimise images, suggest relevant blog topics, and even manage SEO basics. For tasks that rely on pattern recognition and large-scale data analysis, AI is a powerhouse.

Bridging the Gap with Human Oversight

The key to leveraging AI effectively lies in human oversight. A balanced approach means you harness the speed and convenience of AI, but you also bring in real people to review, refine, and validate the results. Accessibility audits should be a routine step, whether you’re building a site from scratch or updating an existing one. Tools like screen reader simulators and keyboard-only navigation tests can reveal flaws that an AI-driven approach might overlook.

A collaborative workflow might look like this:

1. AI Generation: Use the AI builder to create the initial structure and design.
2. Accessibility Audit: Run automated checks and then conduct manual testing for colour contrast, labeling, headings, and overall user experience. (or get a free audit from us)
3. Human Review: Have a designer or developer who understands accessibility guidelines refine any areas flagged by the audit.
4. User Feedback: Gather input from actual users, including those with disabilities, to see how well the site functions in real-world conditions.
5. Iterate and Improve: Make adjustments based on feedback and testing, ensuring that the site becomes more inclusive with each revision.

This approach acknowledges AI’s strengths - speed, efficiency, and creative iteration - while countering its blind spots with human judgment and empathy.

What Script-iT Learned

Script-iT’s experiment underscored the importance of testing, not just trusting. The team saw firsthand how a site that looked polished at a glance could be riddled with accessibility barriers once an audit was performed. This discovery wasn’t a failure but a valuable lesson. It highlighted that if organisations rely on AI alone, they risk shipping websites that don’t meet essential accessibility standards.

The takeaway is simple: AI can be part of your toolkit, but it shouldn’t be the only tool you rely on. Just as you wouldn’t let a machine single-handedly run your customer service or manage your finances without human checks, you shouldn’t let it handle accessibility on autopilot. Even the most advanced algorithms can miss the subtleties that make a website welcoming to everyone.

A Practical Path Forward

If you’re considering AI builders, go in with eyes wide open. Embrace the convenience, but factor in the need for thorough testing and human refinement. Start small, like Script-iT did, with a single-page experiment. Run an audit, see what breaks, and learn from those mistakes before rolling out a large-scale site. Make a plan for regular checkups - accessibility isn’t a one-and-done scenario. User needs evolve, technologies change, and your site should adapt.

Encourage team members to get familiar with accessibility best practices. Basic knowledge about ARIA roles, colour contrast, and semantic HTML can make a huge difference. Many free resources exist to help you understand the guidelines, and professional consultants can offer targeted advice. Ultimately, an inclusive website benefits everyone, from your loyal customers to the casual visitor who stumbles onto your page.

Final Thoughts

AI has enormous potential in web design. It’s revolutionising how we build, test, and iterate on digital experiences. But it’s not a replacement for human insight - especially when it comes to accessibility. Script-iT’s experience is a reminder that while AI can spin up a site in record time, it might also overlook crucial elements that make the internet accessible to all.

A balanced approach respects the power of AI while recognising its limitations. Test everything. Listen to user feedback. Stay curious about new developments in AI and accessibility. By blending the strengths of machine learning with the empathy and expertise of real people, you can build a website that’s not just visually appealing but genuinely inclusive. That’s the real promise of technology: enhancing our human capabilities without losing sight of the people it’s meant to serve