How we AI when building websites is part of the complex set of decisons we make when building a website. AI can help write code, generate images, draft content and even put together an entire website from a few sentences.

As a business owner, you have more choices than ever about how your website gets made. So I want to be upfront about how I use AI at Build With Matriarch, where I draw the line, and what your options are when we work together.

Your private information stays private

I don’t put your private or financial information into AI tools. That includes your clients’ information too.

I also don’t put your passwords, API keys or other website security details into AI. And I don’t upload your artwork or other special intellectual property belonging to your business.

Your business information is yours, and I treat it that way.

I don’t generate images for your website

I don’t use AI to generate images for client websites.

If you want AI-generated images on your site, that’s your choice. You’ll need to generate and supply them yourself, and I can include them in the website for you.

How I use AI to write code

I regularly use AI to help me write code faster. That saves me time, which can save you money.

But I don’t start with a generic prompt like “build me a homepage” or “build me an ecommerce website” and publish whatever comes back.

Instead, I work out what the website needs to do and explain the code I want in plain English. AI helps me draft it, and then I review, improve and test it.

I only upload code to a website if I can read and understand it myself. That matters because I need to know what the code does, how it fits with the rest of your site, and how to maintain or change it when your business needs something different.

Can you ask for an AI-free website?

Yes. If you would prefer me not to use AI when building your website, tell me. It’s your website, and I’m happy to discuss how you want it made.

My pricing is based on the time I spend working on your project, so an AI-free build will cost more if it takes me longer.

This is especially relevant if you don’t want me to reuse code from my existing library. Some of that code has previously been drafted, edited or expanded with AI. If you want me to avoid that code too, let me know so I can account for the extra work in your quote.

What if you want to use AI to build your own website?

That’s an option too. AI tools have made it possible for more people to create a website themselves, and that can be a useful starting point.

But a website doing more than displaying information can become complicated quickly. If you’re collecting customer details, taking payments, accepting bookings or connecting other services, I’d encourage you to be particularly careful about security, financial transactions and spam.

The tricky part is that something can look like it’s working while a problem sits underneath. AI can produce code that includes things you didn’t ask for, so it’s important that someone who understands the code checks what will be published on your live site.

The same applies when you hire a developer who uses AI. I think they should be able to read and understand the code they’re putting on your website, not just rely on the tool to tell them it’s fine.

AI and the environment

This is the part I find harder to give a neat answer to.

AI has an environmental footprint, and I think each person has to decide how they feel about using it.

I care about the environment. I avoid products containing palm oil, my phone is more than seven years old, our household uses solar electricity, and I don’t drive. My husband is vegan.

I feel satisfied that I make choices in other parts of my life to reduce my environmental footprint. But does that make my use of AI hypocritical? Am I just making the kind of justifications capitalism encourages us to make?

Honestly, I don’t know. I’m still thinking about it, and I respect that you might reach a different conclusion.

That’s another reason I want to be transparent: you should have the information you need to decide whether working with me feels right for you.

Let’s talk about what you’re comfortable with

Whether you’re happy for me to use AI as part of my process or would prefer an AI-free build, let me know. We can talk through what that means for your project, your budget and the code I’ll use.

How I use AI when building websites