So we get asked this question a LOT these days. And frankly, it’s a hard one to answer without sounding self-serving, or even a bit perturbed that AI has moved into the coding space with such aplomb. But at the end of the day, AI is a tool – and one that even WE use in the course of our work.
But do we find AI (Claude Code, ChatGPT, etc) a real challenger for the type of projects and work that we do – well, no.
Without a doubt, AI can make some impression Apps and Websites. From a great portfolio site for your photography business, to a nice CV-focused site to market yourself – AI can pull from thousands of online templates, and quickly ‘mash up’ something that ‘kinda’ looks right. The same can be said for Mobile Apps. We’ve tinkered with things like Claude Code to make some simple ‘scratch that itch’ personal Apps like To-Do Lists and even Podcast Players that are pretty straight-forward and easy to describe and create. All that is fine and good.
But when a client asks if AI can simply build a new video communication App, or e-Commerce Solution, or integrate with their CRM and back-end booking engines, we put the brakes on pretty quickly.
For clients like Positive Signs – where our ClickBSL Solution is soon to allow the UK Deaf Community to carry a video link to a BSL Translator at any time, anwyhere – execution, security, and a truly artisanal approach are absolutely critical.
As mentioned in previous posts, we practice a holistic and ’empathetic design’ approach that means we start with the End Users themselves, rather than simple App features and requirement documents. While AI can execute some really impressive prototypes and first steps in a development cycle, the human element, the ‘art’ of code development goes far beyond Flutter, React, or even Swift and Kotlin.
If it sounds like we’re a bit ‘sniffy’ about the ‘art’ of code development – you’re right! And there’s a reason.
When solutions like ClickBSL – as well as many other recent deployments for clients like RACK, Smart_R, and BikeAway – absolutely require the human element of both design and execution, there is simply no way to ‘AI-generate’ the kind of creativity, vision, and integration expertise a seasoned Development Team can bring. Oftentimes the solutions we build do not reveal themselves with all their features and glory until well into an iterative development process – that means early on in the MVP or early release cycle. This is something that we must do TOGETHER with our clients – and most importantly, with their End Users.
And don’t get us started with financial integrations, security and GDPR, and writing bug-free code. AI generated Apps have already revealed themselves to be perhaps the most in-secure, hackable, and bug-ridden apps ever released in Apps Stores or via Web Apps online.
A meme that really tickles us is one that illustrates some of the issues with AI development perfectly (skip to the video below).
Have you ever asked Gemini or ChatGPT or Copilot to make an image or a logo? It gets CLOSE to perfect sometimes, doesn’t it? But there will be that ONE painful misseplling, or odd fuzzy angle. So you ask the chatbot to fix that one SMALL issue…and all hell breaks loose.
You see ‘generative AI’ is just that – generative and re-generative.
The AI has absolutely no idea what your small tweak means, so it re-renders and redevelops every part of the original request when even a small tweak to a small area is all that is required. This may be a small issue when it’s a single image you have the time and patience to work through, but imagine the landmines that are planted in a major App development with every small tweak that is requested to your AI developer. It’s a re-generative nightmare.
We’ll leave you with this fun little illustration of what ‘vibe coding’ major solutions can often feel like. Again, we’re not here to bash on AI – we use it every day ourselves, but this is sadly more true that satire:
Happy February everyone ! Keep close to Mission Control for some BIG launch announcements coming later this month. And as always, drop us a line, we’re more fun to chat to than Claude, we promise 😉
