Why AI is not a thorn in the small web
I know people have different feelings about AI and that in the small web community that view is typically not favored.
I am an old school tech guy who cut his teeth in the mid-1980's as a hobby and it eventually became my career. Started with building, then BBS sysoping, then troubleshooting, then installing/supervising broadband internet for @Home, then help desk, then servers and web dev, some networking, help desk supervisor, systems administrator, SharePoint Admin, trainer, and now a IT bsuiness systems analyst.
I've been in IT a very long time and have seen tech come and go. The past ten years I have been very burnt out with the world of tech.... that is until I explored the AI world. It not only opened up new ideas but has allowed me to effectively return to my tech roots.
It has helped me better understanding coding principles by working along with it, see results, and actually understanding the code that is generated by being involved in what the finished product should be. It has helped me gather my thoughts on projects, give me guidance on which stacks to use, how to implement them, and when my idea is not really worth the time to invest in it (or if its a great idea). Web pages look slick and come together in minutes rather than hours.
Then there is retro tech. With integration of a RAG system for old BBS's and tech, I have come up with some pretty cool BBS's, forked a previous Windows only tool to Linux that runs DOS based door games, created a TUI for MS-DOS to view Gemini capsules, and much more.
Some may feel that using AI goes against the small web ethos. I disagree.
At first glance, they might seem incompatible. After all, LLMs are products of massive tech companies with enormous computational resources. But I'd argue that using these tools doesn't betray the spirit of the indie web at all.
The small web has never been about rejecting all technology or tools. It's always been about values: personal ownership, decentralization, authentic voice, and human-scale connections. Using an LLM to help you write, edit, or manage your personal site doesn't compromise any of these principles. You still own your site. You still control what gets published. You're still not dependent on corporate platforms dictating your reach or monetization. The tool is just that—a tool, like the static site generators, RSS readers, and markdown editors that indie web enthusiasts have used for years.
What LLMs actually do is democratize creation in ways that align perfectly with small web ideals. The indie web is fundamentally about individual creators maintaining control without needing large teams or corporate infrastructure. LLMs help solo creators accomplish what previously required expensive specialists or significant time investments. They level the playing field, making it feasible for one person to manage technical tasks, polish their writing, or brainstorm ideas while still maintaining their unique voice and vision.
There's an important distinction here between creative assistance and creative replacement. Using AI for editing, technical tasks, or brainstorming doesn't make your work inauthentic any more than using spell-check does. It frees you to focus on what matters: your unique perspective, your ideas, your connections with readers. The small web rejects corporate control and algorithmic homogenization, not technological assistance that serves your creative independence.
In fact, you could argue that LLMs help you resist the very things the indie web stands against. They make it easier to maintain independent sites when you might otherwise feel pressured to use Medium or Substack or whatever platform is currently popular. They help you escape the corporate monoculture by giving you the resources to do things your way, on your own terms.
The question isn't whether you use AI. The question is whether your tools serve your independence or replace it. And when you're using LLMs to build and maintain your own corner of the web, free from algorithmic feeds and platform constraints, you're living the small web ethos perfectly well.