AI Platforms Racing To Run Your Business, Not Just Build Your Site

The race for the AI-powered business platform is on. On August 11, Wix introduced Symphony, a platform that coordinates AI agents to handle business tasks. Hostinger followed with an expanded AI business assistant in September, and GoDaddy has introduced new automation and software connections to its AI website builder.

The announcements reveal where these companies see their next commercial opportunity. Creating an online presence is no longer enough. They want a role in what happens after a business opens its doors.

For entrepreneurs, that ambition addresses a familiar problem. Building a website has become remarkably easy, especially with AI tools that provide fully functional and customized sites in just minutes, but running a successful business remains hard. Business operators must attract customers, answer inquiries, manage advertising, process orders and keep the books in order. An established company can distribute that work among employees.

But the owner of a fledgling business usually handles everything alone, often after finishing another job. AI agents promise to give these entrepreneurs access to specialized capabilities without the expense of hiring a team.

Technology providers are beginning to entrust their agents with more of these decisions. The consequences could extend far beyond the website and technology infrastructure business, changing how small companies buy tech tools, organize their work and compete with much larger enterprises.

Building A Website Was Only Half The Problem

In a one-on-one interview with me this past week, Hostinger CEO Giedrius Zakaitis recalled a time when getting a website online was a technical ordeal.

Hostinger gradually automated much of that work. Managed WordPress hosting simplified installation, and website builders removed the need to deal with WordPress altogether. More recently, generative AI made it possible to create websites and applications through conversational instructions.