The Web Is More Than Enough, by Paul Ford

Simon Willison recounts that after reading a Hacker News comment on Paul Ford’s article “The Web Is More Than Enough,” he decided to test an idea that emerged from the discussion. He used Three.js to create a 3‑D animation of a Fabergé egg inspired by a nudibranch, which is available as a 77 KB file. He then asked Claude Opus 5.5 (mid‑range version) to reproduce the same project, but using plain JavaScript and WebGL without relying on the Three.js library. The AI‑generated model is 98 KB and, while it differs from the original, it demonstrates that a language model can produce functional 3‑D graphics code without external frameworks. Willison notes that, at first glance, the Three.js‑based code appears somewhat more readable, though he does not spend much time reviewing it.

This story is significant because it shows how generative AI models can accelerate the creation of interactive web content, reducing dependence on specialized libraries and potentially simplifying development for programmers with less 3‑D graphics experience. It also highlights the growing role of AI as a coding assistant, which could shape future front‑end development practices.

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