The collapse of web coding gigs is getting ugly — AI takes over routine website development jobs

A recent study by Bluehost reveals that 53% of surveyed entrepreneurs are now utilizing AI website builders instead of hiring professional developers. This shift has contributed to a significant decline in freelance programming opportunities, with job postings for website design, PHP, and WordPress falling by nearly 60% since early 2024. Business owners report saving an average of $850 and 32 working hours per project, expressing high satisfaction with AI-generated results. While most users still manually refine content and visuals, the trend suggests a major disruption in the freelance market. Despite the efficiency gains, only half of the respondents are comfortable disclosing the use of AI to their customers. While the data indicates a sharp reduction in traditional web development gigs, experts note that the small sample size and the specific nature of freelance marketplaces mean these figures may not represent a total collapse of the industry.