OpenAI's 2026 Super Bowl ad boldly claims that "anyone can now build anything," but when it comes to actually building a functional business website, ChatGPT falls short of delivering a ready-to-launch site. While ChatGPT can provide code snippets and design advice, purpose-built AI website builders like Durable create complete, professional websites in under 60 seconds with hosting, custom domains, and built-in business tools - no coding or setup required.
The Super Bowl Promise vs. The reality
During Super Bowl LX, OpenAI airs a commercial celebrating "builders" and the democratization of creation through AI. The intent of the message is inspiring: artificial intelligence has finally made it possible for anyone, regardless of technical skill, to build whatever they can imagine.
But if you're a small business owner who actually tried to build a website with ChatGPT after seeing that ad, you probably encountered a frustrating reality check.
We put this to the test: Durable vs ChatGPT
To see if OpenAI's Super Bowl promise holds up, we ran a simple experiment: ask both ChatGPT and Durable to build a website for a landscaping business.
The prompt: "Build a website for my landscaping business. We do custom landscape design, lawn care, hardscaping, and seasonal maintenance."
The results:
ChatGPT (5 minutes of work)
ChatGPT provided HTML code for a basic single-page layout. We copied the code, pasted it into a text editor, saved it as an HTML file, and opened it in a browser. The result was a bare-bones page with placeholder content and no styling beyond basic HTML defaults.
Here's what the one-page site output looks like:
Durable (30 seconds, zero technical work)
Durable generated a complete, professional multi-page website with industry-specific content, professional imagery, service descriptions, testimonials, a contact form, and mobile-responsive design - instantly accessible at a real URL.
Here's what the full Durable website output looks like:
Let's break this down.
ChatGPT's output required us to manually create the file, had no hosting, no domain, no images, and would need hours of additional work to become functional.
Durable's output was a complete business website, ready to share with customers immediately.
Feature | ChatGPT Result | Durable Result |
|---|---|---|
Time to complete | 5+ minutes (plus hours of setup) | 30 seconds |
What you get | Code snippet | Live website with URL |
Hosting included | No - you need to find and pay for hosting separately | Yes - automatic hosting included |
Domain connection | No - requires purchasing and configuring DNS | Yes - connect your domain in one click |
Professional design | Basic HTML, no styling | Fully designed, modern, mobile-responsive |
Images | None - you add them manually | Professional stock photos included |
Content | Generic placeholders | Industry-specific, customized content |
Multiple pages | Single page only | Complete site: Home, Services, About, Contact, Gallery |
Contact form | No - you'd need to code and configure one | Yes - working form connected to your email |
Mobile responsive | No - requires additional CSS work | Yes - automatically optimized for all devices |
Business tools | None | Built-in CRM, invoicing, and marketing tools |
Ready to share with customers | No - not even close | Yes - immediately |
Technical skill required | High - need to understand HTML, hosting, FTP, DNS | None - answer three questions |
The difference is striking. ChatGPT gave us the raw ingredients. Durable gave us a finished, ready-to-serve website that a business owner could start using to attract customers within minutes.
This isn't a knock on ChatGPT - it's an excellent tool for many tasks. But when OpenAI's ad promises that "anyone can build anything," it's worth noting that "build" means very different things depending on which AI tool you choose.
For a functional business website, the specialized tool wins decisively.
What happens when you ask ChatGPT to build your website
Let's be honest about what ChatGPT actually does when you ask it to build you a website:
You get code. ChatGPT will generate HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for you. It might even be good code. But then what? You still need to:
- Find a hosting provider
- Set up a server
- Purchase and configure a domain name
- Upload your files via FTP
- Troubleshoot when things inevitably break
- Handle security updates and maintenance
- Figure out contact forms, payment processing, and analytics
For someone without technical expertise, this isn't "building anything." It's inheriting a complex DIY project that could take days or weeks to get live.
You get advice, not action. ChatGPT can tell you what a good website needs. It can explain design principles, suggest color schemes, and recommend plugins. But it can't implement any of it for you in a way that results in a functioning website accessible at a real URL.
You get generic templates. Without knowledge of your specific business, industry, or brand, ChatGPT produces generic starting points that still require significant customization, design work, and content strategy to become a real business asset.
The gap between AI chatbots and AI website builders
Here's what the Super Bowl AI battle between OpenAI and Anthropic misses entirely: not all AI tools are created equal, and general-purpose chatbots aren't specialized builders.
ChatGPT and Claude are conversational AI - brilliant for brainstorming, writing, and problem-solving. But asking them to build your website is like asking a brilliant consultant to also be your contractor, your designer, and your IT department.
Purpose-built AI website builders work differently. They're trained specifically on website creation, optimized for speed, and integrated with all the infrastructure you actually need.
What an AI website builder actually does
Take Durable's AI website builder as an example of what's possible when AI is purpose-built for a specific task:
Complete websites in under 60 seconds. You answer three questions about your business (name, industry, location), and the AI generates a multi-page website with relevant content, professional images, and industry-appropriate design - instantly.
Everything is included. Hosting, SSL certificates, domain connection, mobile optimization, and contact forms are built in. No separate services to coordinate or technical setup required.
Business tools, not just web pages. Beyond the website itself, you get AI-powered copywriting, an invoicing system, a CRM for managing customers, and marketing tools - all integrated and working together.
Actually customizable. Don't like something? Change it with simple tools, or ask the AI to regenerate sections. The AI understands your business context and can rewrite content, adjust layouts, or modify designs in real-time.
The "anyone can build anything" promise, delivered
OpenAI's Super Bowl message isn't wrong - AI really is democratizing creation. But it matters which AI tool you choose for which job.
If you need to write compelling product descriptions, debug code, or brainstorm marketing strategies, ChatGPT is exceptional. If you need an actual functioning website for your business by tomorrow, you need a specialized tool built for that purpose.
The difference is the same as the difference between a Swiss Army knife and a power drill. Both are useful tools, but when you need to actually drill a hole, specialized equipment matters.
Why this matters for small businesses
The Anthropic vs OpenAI rivalry playing out in Super Bowl ads is largely about business models (ads vs. subscriptions) and which company will dominate consumer AI. For small business owners, the real question is simpler: which AI tool actually helps me make money?
A chatbot that requires you to spend days learning web development doesn't help you open for business faster. A website builder that gets you online in minutes does.
While tech giants worth hundreds of billions debate the philosophy of AI advertising, practical AI tools are already solving real business problems for entrepreneurs who don't have time to become developers.
Durable skips the entire debate by doing what neither ChatGPT nor Claude can: delivering a complete, hosted business website with built-in tools to manage customers, send invoices, and market your services - all without writing a single line of code.
Durable beats OpenAI for website building
Can ChatGPT help you build a website? Technically, yes - it can provide the raw materials and instructions. Can it actually build your website in a way that gets your business online and ready to serve customers? No.
OpenAI's Super Bowl promise that "anyone can build anything" is inspirational, but it requires an important caveat: choose the right AI tool for what you're actually trying to build.
For business websites, that means using AI that's actually built for building websites - not adapting a general-purpose chatbot to a specialized task it was never designed to complete.
ChatGPT Superbowl Ad FAQs
Can ChatGPT build a website for my business?
ChatGPT can generate website code and provide design guidance, but it can't create a live, hosted website with a domain name. You'd still need to handle hosting, setup, and deployment yourself.
What's the difference between AI chatbots and AI website builders?
AI chatbots like ChatGPT are general-purpose tools for conversation and advice, while AI website builders are specialized platforms that create complete, hosted websites with integrated business tools in minutes.
How long does it take to build a website with an AI website builder?
Purpose-built AI website builders like Durable can create a complete, multi-page business website in under 60 seconds, including content, images, and professional design.
Do I need coding skills to use an AI website builder?
No. AI website builders are designed for people without technical expertise - you simply answer a few questions about your business, and the AI handles all the technical work automatically.
Durable builds better websites than ChatGPT