Wix, a company mostly known for its online design tools, has launched a generative AI capability that will help users develop and change iOS or Android applications by outlining what they want to see in plain English.
Set to show up in Wix’s app creation tool this week, the feature leads users via a chatbot-like experience to grasp the aims, purpose, and style of their app. Wix’s AI uses this information to generate an app that users can personalise from the app editor, potentially enhancing it with widgets, connectors, and first- and third-party connections.
Following the release of Wix’s AI website generator last July, which can generate a site template replete with text and graphics from a series of informative captions, the company is now offering generative AI-powered app development. According to Wix co-founder and CEO Avishai Abrahami, the new artificial intelligence products fit Wix’s larger plan to provide “custom AI solutions” to let businesses rapidly spin up digital experiences. 
“Wix’s goal has always been to enable anyone to establish an online presence, including mobile apps,” Abrahami said to Eltrys. “As a company, we have learned so much about artificial intelligence and how users interact with it when establishing their online presence.”
We create apps from nothing but the starting point.
Requiring a $99-per-month membership to Wix’s premium Branded App plan, Wix claims that its new AI-powered app builder produces “fully native” app code for iOS and Android. Before publishing a programmeme to the Apple Programme Store or Google Play Store, users may sample a programmeme and have an influence on its branding, layout, features, icons, and themes.
“Our artificial intelligence aims to offload most, if not all, of the user’s hard labour,” Abrahami added. “The more personalised and complete the AI-generated app will be, the more exact the responses to the prompts during setup.”
That sounds fantastic in theory. Reviews of Wix’s AI site builder, however, are not quite positive; early users have found generic-looking completed goods and flaws in the platform.
Why, therefore, should users expect Wix’s AI app builder to be any better given that under-the-hood tech is the same and outside a few updated generative AI models?
Claiming that feedback has been “overwhelmingly positive” and that consumers have produced hundreds of thousands of AI-generated websites since its introduction, Abrahami brushed away the criticisms about Wix’s site builder.
“This robust response and use highlight the depth of our artificial intelligence knowledge and the strength of our product team,” he said. “We’re thrilled to offer this experience on mobile as well.”
Though, at least from a security point of view, the stakes are somewhat higher with applications.
According to studies and polls, generative artificial intelligence technologies are sending more erroneous code to codebases, exacerbating existing faults and security concerns in app development. Research from Purdue shows that in reality, over half of the responses OpenAI’s ChatGPT offers to programming queries are incorrect.
Abrahami acknowledged that the AI app builder, like other generative artificial intelligence systems, is susceptible to errors. Wix demonstrates dedication, consistently striving to improve the product.
“We have strong security measures implemented and maintained for all of our solutions, including the mobile app builder,” he said. “Codes and applications are subject to regular security and penetration reviews and monitoring.”
Is it capable of replacing developers?
If Wix’s AI-powered app designer performs as promised, it could pose a threat to companies and solopreneurs in the multi-billion-dollar industry of creating smartphone applications for businesses.
FlutterFlow, Crowdaa, Mobile-First Company, and many others use artificial intelligence in various ways. A short search on Fiverr turns up a large number of highly rated app developers, some of whom charge almost the same as a Wix membership.
Abrahami claims Wix offers an option for consumers who desire it and does not seek to replace developers. He claims that the solution not only delivers capabilities like use data and app update management via the relevant app stores but also strongly interacts with Wix’s larger product range, possibly appealing to Wix’s millions of current customers.
“Professional developers are still quite important, especially for more specialised and sophisticated app projects,” Abrahami said. “There is room for both paths to app creation.”
I’m not sure app developers will agree, even though they don’t have much choice in the matter.
