Hidden risks associated with developing a website using artificial intelligence | ecode10.com

Hidden risks associated with developing a website using artificial intelligence

Using AI to do everything for you is a risk?

Monday, December 8, 2025

Views: 46 SHARE

Creating a website with AI tools carries risks related to security vulnerabilities, legal liabilities (copyright and data privacy), lack of design originality and human insight, and potential performance issues. AI should be treated as a powerful assistant, not a replacement for human oversight and expertise.

Security and Technical Risks

Inadvertent vulnerabilities: AI models are trained on large code datasets that can include insecure coding practices. The resulting AI-generated code might contain security flaws like SQL injection risks, cross-site scripting (XSS), or improper input handling, making the site susceptible to attacks.
Code inefficiency and bloat: AI-generated code, while functional, may not be optimized, leading to slower load times, increased server strain, and difficult maintenance.
Technical failures and bugs: AI systems are prone to glitches. The code generated might not perfectly align with specific functionality requirements, leading to untraceable bugs and compatibility problems with third-party integrations.
Lack of context: AI often generates code or design elements without a deep understanding of the website's specific context, business logic, or security architecture, which can result in missing security controls or logic errors that are hard to detect.

Legal and Ethical Risks

Copyright infringement: AI models are trained on existing copyrighted materials, and their outputs may closely resemble existing works, potentially leading to copyright infringement lawsuits.
Copyright ownership dilemma: Under U.S. law, copyright protection only extends to works with human authorship. Content or design generated entirely by AI may not be copyrightable, meaning you cannot prevent competitors from using your site's content.
Data privacy and compliance issues: AI website builders often collect and process vast amounts of user data, raising privacy concerns. Without proper security measures and transparent policies, using AI could inadvertently violate data protection laws like the GDPR or CCPA.
Liability for misinformation: AI can "hallucinate" or provide inaccurate/false information. The business owner is liable for any harm caused by publishing this incorrect information on their website, such as false advertising claims or incorrect legal/medical advice.
Bias and discrimination: AI algorithms can reflect biases present in their training data, potentially leading to biased outcomes in website design or functionality that could result in discrimination claims.

Brand and Quality Risks

Lack of human touch and originality: AI-generated websites often rely on templates and generic patterns, which can make your site look similar to others and make it difficult to distinguish your brand's unique value proposition.
Poor user experience (UX) and SEO: While visually appealing, AI designs may lack a strategic focus on the user journey, conversion funnels, or current SEO best practices ("written by people, for people"), leading to poor search rankings and a drop in traffic. Inconsistent quality and brand voice: The quality of AI output can vary, and without human oversight, content may sound robotic, lack emotional connection, or be inconsistent with your brand's established tone and values.
Mitigation is key: To use AI effectively, human oversight is crucial. Always review and edit AI-generated content and code for accuracy, security, and brand alignment, treating the AI as an assistant rather than a fully autonomous creator.
Old components: using old development components can open your SAAS or website for hackers or people with bad intentions. It's important to use better and more secure components.