Guide · Artificial intelligence · 5 min read
Adding AI to your website: what is useful and what is not
In short: artificial intelligence is useful on a website when it meets a precise need: answering frequent questions, helping people find a product, saving time on writing or sorting requests. It can be added to WordPress as well as PrestaShop, through a plugin or as a custom build. Two rules not to forget: tell your visitors they are talking to an AI, which has been mandatory in Europe since 2 August 2026, and protect their data.
What AI can bring to a website
| Use | What it does | The condition |
|---|---|---|
| Chat assistant | Answers frequent questions, day and night, from your own content | It must rely on your information, and know when to hand over to a person |
| Search | Understands “a gift for a runner” and suggests the right products | Results must stay accurate and up to date |
| Writing help | Drafts product pages, descriptions, standard replies | Always proofread: AI can be wrong with great confidence |
| Translation | Translates pages and product descriptions | A review by someone who speaks the language |
| Sorting requests | Classifies incoming messages and spots urgent ones | Personal data must be protected |
| Summaries | Summarises customer reviews or long documents | Check that the summary stays faithful |
How an assistant works on a website
An AI model, the program that writes the answers, does not know your company. To answer correctly, your website sends it, with each question, the relevant passages of your own content: FAQ, product pages, terms of sale. The AI then writes an answer based on your information, not on guesswork.
Three ways to add it
A ready-made plugin
For WordPress or PrestaShop: quick to set up, but limited to what the plugin offers.
An online service connected to the site
An assistant hosted by a provider: simple, but check where the data goes and what each exchange costs.
A custom integration
A direct connection to a model, such as those from OpenAI, Anthropic or Mistral AI, the companies behind ChatGPT, Claude and Vibe (formerly Le Chat): more control over answers and data, at the cost of development work.
The rules to follow
- Inform your visitors: since 2 August 2026, the European AI Act requires telling people they are interacting with an AI, unless it is obvious. A simple mention at the start of the conversation is enough.
- Label generated content: an image or video created by AI that imitates reality must be presented as such.
- Protect data: personal data rules apply, supervised by the CNIL in France and the APDP in Monaco. Only send what is necessary, and choose services that state where and how data is processed.
- Own the answers: your company is answerable for what your assistant says. In Canada, in 2024, an airline had to honour a refund promise wrongly made by its chatbot.
Mistakes to avoid
Adding an assistant without a precise need
A gadget that answers badly does more harm than no assistant at all.
Letting it answer without limits
An assistant must neither invent a price nor promise a timeframe: it sticks to your information.
Forgetting to inform visitors
It has been an obligation in Europe since 2 August 2026, and it is a matter of trust.
Sending sensitive data
Health information, payment details, confidential documents: they have no place in a conversation with an AI.
Forgetting the usage cost
AI services are often billed by the amount of text processed: a spending cap prevents nasty surprises.
Never proofreading
What AI produces must be proofread, especially what is published on your website.
Where to start
- Pick a measurable need. For example: answering the ten questions you are asked most often.
- Test small. On part of the site, or with a small group of customers.
- Measure. Questions solved, time saved, requests handed over, sales.
- Expand if it works. And drop, without regret, whatever adds nothing.
The notice to display
A simple sentence, visible from the start of the conversation, is enough. For example:
You are chatting with an automated assistant based on artificial intelligence. Its answers may contain mistakes: for any important question, please contact us directly.
Add a link to your privacy policy, explaining what happens to the messages exchanged.
Have an AI project for your website?
I add AI to your WordPress or PrestaShop website when it meets a real need: an assistant fed by your content, a smarter search, writing help. And you talk directly to the person who writes the code.
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Reply within one business day
Frequently asked questions
Does an AI assistant replace customer service?
No: it answers simple, frequent questions, and must know when to hand over to a person for the rest.
How much does using an AI cost?
AI services are often billed by usage, according to the amount of text processed. A spending cap prevents nasty surprises.
Does my data leave the country?
It depends on the service chosen. Check where data is processed, and whether it is used to train models: options exist to limit these risks.
Can AI write all of my website’s content?
It can help, but fully automatic content, without proofreading or expertise, brings little to your visitors. Google favours useful content, however it is produced.
Do I have to inform visitors?
Yes. In Europe, since 2 August 2026, a person interacting with an AI must be informed of it, unless it is obvious.
How much does an integration cost?
It depends on the use and the method chosen. I never quote without looking first. Describe your project: I will send you a clear, itemised quote. Reply within one business day.
Sources
Keep reading
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