What AI builders do well
They are fast at layout, placeholder copy and visual polish. If you need a simple landing page to test an idea, collect email addresses for an event or replace a broken one-page site this week, an AI builder is a sensible choice.
They also lower the cost of a first draft for agencies. We use AI tools in our own process to explore layout options and speed up routine code. The question is not whether AI touches the website. It is who decides what the website is for.
What they usually leave out
A business website is a sales tool with a structure behind it: one clear page per service, pages that answer the questions buyers actually ask, a quote or booking path that sends complete information to the right person, and the technical SEO that lets search engines understand all of it.
Generated sites tend to produce one long page with generic claims. They rarely set up canonical URLs, multilingual hreflang, structured data or a sensible redirect plan. Those gaps do not show in the preview. They show six months later in search traffic and lead quality.
The ownership question
Many builders host the site on their own platform. That is convenient until you want to add a customer portal, connect an internal system or move to another provider. Ask before you start: can I export the code, and what happens to my pages and URLs if I leave?
AI search changes the brief
Buyers now ask ChatGPT or Google's AI Overviews before they click. Those systems cite pages that state facts clearly and consistently: who you are, what you offer, where you work. Thin generated copy gives them little to quote. Getting cited is a content and structure problem, which we cover in our guide to generative engine optimization.
How to decide
Use an AI builder when the site is short-lived, simple and not your main source of leads. Choose a custom build when the website is how customers find you, compare you and contact you, or when it has to connect to other software.
A middle path works too: let AI speed up the drafts, and have someone accountable for structure, copy, SEO and handoff. That is how we approach custom website design at METEK Digital.