From data analysis and decision-making to being a web developer’s wingman, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become an integral part of the website development industry. According to Stack Overflow’s Developer Survey, 70% of developers are currently using AI to increase their productivity. But its evolution doesn’t stop here.
And while it progresses toward a more mature state of sophistication, capability, and effectiveness, we have created this guide to help you leverage AI in web development optimally. By the end of this article, you’ll know the present state of AI in web development, the prominent trends of AI shaping 2024 (and beyond), and the ones you can leverage yourself to maximize output.
Current State of AI in Web Development
AI combines intricate algorithms and systems to simplify and streamline the web development process. It helps web developers in:
- coding,
- debugging,
- automating repetitive tasks,
- incorporating proactive security measures,
- enhancing user experience,
- creating dynamic web design, and much more.
Developing web applications is a complex and intricate process. Web developers are constantly exploring different tools and technologies that can increase their productivity and simplify the process. Apart from implementing alternatives to Asana to streamline the development process, they are also utilizing various AI technologies that can aid in constructing secure, user-friendly, and visually appealing websites.
Here’s an overview of AI technologies that aid in web development:
Machine Learning
Machine learning (ML) is a branch of AI that builds computer systems by learning from data in a manner similar to humans. By analyzing large amounts of data and patterns, these systems improve their performance over time. Machine learning algorithms are currently helping web developers in content recommendation, user behaviour, and predictive analysis.
Content recommendation systems analyze user interaction on the platform to give personalized recommendations. The users benefit with an immersive experience resulting in engagement while businesses benefit with retention and more time spent on the platform. Google’s Discover Page on Android devices is a classic example of this type of content recommendation system.
The shift in consumer behaviour has led to the implementation of predictive analytics. Web developers are leveraging this technology to predict trends, understand user preferences, and foresee potential issues.
The data-backed approach of predictive analytics helps web developers make informed decisions about the layout, functionality, and content of the website to optimize user experience. Predictive analytics draws over user behaviour analysis, another machine learning system that can help businesses provide tailored experiences to maximize conversions.
Natural Language Processing (NLP)
Another AI tech to take notice of is Natural Language Processing (NLP). NLP enables computers to converse with the users by interpreting and comprehending human language. Web developers are leveraging NLP to create engaging and personalized web applications.
Chatbots and virtual assistants, sentiment analysis, text summarization, speech recognition and synthesis, and language translations – are some ways NLP is implemented in web development to automate queries, reduce costs, and provide tailored solutions.
NLP is the reason Siri on iOS and Google Assistant on Android can communicate, comprehend, and perform tasks based on human language input. The technology is still a work in progress and has its limitations. However, it is steadily improving at analyzing different aspects of the language such as syntax, morphology, semantics, and pragmatics.
Computer Vision
Another AI technology bearing similarities to NLP is Computer Vision – a tech that enables computers to identify and interpret visual inputs such as images, infographics, videos, etc., and take desired action. IBM has put it quite aptly: ‘If AI enables computers to think, Computer Vision enables them to see, observe and understand’
Computer Vision facilitates automatic tagging and categorizing of images – a feature utilized for streamlining content and enhancing the visual appeal of a website. Taking the computer vision tech one step further is Augmented Reality (AR). Businesses are using AR to improve user engagement by adding interactive elements to the website. An example of this is the ‘View in Your Room’ feature found on various retail websites.
Examples of AI Applications in Current Web Development
Several businesses have implemented AI tools successfully. Let’s look at a few examples here:
Sephora’s Chatbot and Virtual Assistant:
Sephora, a multinational retailer of beauty products and personal care, wanted to capitalize on the shift towards online shopping. After analyzing consumer interaction on its website, Sephora deployed a chatbot-based virtual assistant (VA) to provide a seamless experience to its customers.
The Sephora VA provided support to its online customers by:
- Giving them an online ‘in-store’ experience by fetching product details from the nearest store based on the customer’s location, booking products, and providing pick-up options.
- Connecting them to an on-demand beauty expert to guide them through their buying process, just like in a physical store.
Sephora’s virtual assistant provides the best-in-class personalized retail experience to its consumers 24X7. After deploying VA, Sephora booked more than 6K new users on the bot in Singapore and 3K in Malaysia within a year with a $30K increase in revenue.
Netflix’s Recommendation System
Netflix, a subscription-based over-the-top streaming service, uses AI-based recommendation algorithms. According to Todd Yellin, the VP of Netflix, the recommendation algorithm is at the core of their product. The system analyses user viewing habits, preferences, and historical data to provide personalized content recommendations. It reduces user’s time and frustration in finding the desired content and keeps them engaged.
Netflix’s recommendation system is responsible for 80% of watched content on the platform and has registered a 30% increase in user engagement. Here are top Comedy series on Netflix you must watch.
Trends Shaping AI in Web Development in 2024
With the integration of more sophisticated technologies in web development, AI tools are becoming more mainstream and promise to deliver a transformative experience to users. Some trends to look for in 2024 are:
Voice Activated Web Applications
With the integration of voice recognition technology in web development, web applications now have a new way of interacting with users. This technique enables users to navigate websites, access information and perform various actions through voice commands.
Voice recognition brings forward a vast array of possibilities. Functions like voice-enabled search, voice-enabled form input, and voice-controlled navigation are making web browsing more inclusive. Voice recognition also makes web applications accessible to users with physical, visual or cognitive impairments.
Voice-activated web applications are already being utilized as hand-free navigation systems for vehicles and voice-controlled smart home integrations. In another user case, users with different languages and dialects are benefitting from the transcribing, translation, and captioning services of this technology.
Security in Web Applications
The increased number of sophisticated security threats on websites is a concerning factor that has necessitated the requirement of robust web applications with in-built mechanisms to identify and prevent attacks.
With the help of large datasets of previous cyber threats, AI is getting better at analyzing patterns and identifying security threats in real time. Developers are leveraging AI to build web applications that prioritize security, receive real-time feedback on breaches, and offer suggestions to avoid possible threats.
Advanced Conversational Interfaces
According to a survey conducted by MIT Technology, 90% of businesses report measurable improvements in the speed of complaint resolution. Another study stated that 85% of customers shift to other options because of poor customer service. In such conditions, more businesses will start adopting chatbots to provide personalized experiences to their customers. This, in turn, generates the need for more advanced chatbots capable of handling complex queries to enhance customer interaction.
As Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Natural Language Understanding (NLU) improve, advanced conversational interfaces will become more capable of answering queries with heightened specificity and accuracy while reducing cost and increasing operational efficiency. It will be no surprise if these advanced chatbots are able to handle multi-level conversations, making them apt for retail businesses, e-commerce, customer support, and content delivery systems.
Conclusion
AI started as an impossible idea and progressed to small tasks like completing input commands and data analysis. As these AI technologies continuously learn from human interactions, they are becoming more intuitive in processing complex instructions and giving accurate, human-like responses. It has touched every aspect of the web development process and has created a place for itself as a fundamental tool for web development.
Even though AI seems omnipresent, a substantial number of businesses are still not utilizing AI. Research says that 80% of companies that have not implemented AI are planning to integrate AI into their business. Stats like this highlight the growing integration of AI for elevating user experience. Leveraging it will not only benefit web developers but will also help businesses meet their goals.
Author’s Bio: Joy D’Cruz is a content marketing specialist who is currently working with SaSHunt. Joy enjoys researching topics related to B2B and SaaS. On the weekends, he likes spending time watching YouTube.
