A developer who builds a product called Pagecord using coding LLMs has published a public disclosure page detailing exactly how AI is involved in the product's development. The move came after receiving unexpected pushback on social media from users who want to avoid software with any AI involvement.
The backlash that prompted disclosure
The creator of Pagecord reported receiving a surprising volume of anti-AI criticism after publicly discussing the use of coding LLMs to build the product. The criticism was not about the product's features or quality. It was about the process. Some users object to AI involvement in software development on principle, and they want to know before they use a product whether AI played a role in creating it.
In response, the developer published a dedicated page at pagecord.com/ai that lays out what AI tools are used for in the business. The page covers coding assistance, not product decisions or content generation, and aims to give potential users enough information to make an informed choice about whether the product aligns with their preferences.
Is disclosure a waste of time
The developer's question on Hacker News was straightforward: is publishing an AI disclosure page a waste of time, or is it something more companies should be doing? The post received modest engagement, with three points and two comments within six hours, suggesting the community is still figuring out where it stands on the question.
The tension is real. AI tools have become standard in software development workflows. GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, and similar services are used by a large percentage of professional developers. Requiring full disclosure of AI involvement would capture most shipping software. Refusing to use AI entirely puts a developer at a practical disadvantage in a competitive market.
But the backlash is also real. A growing segment of users actively seeks out human-made software, much like the market for handcrafted goods in a world of mass production. For these users, knowing whether AI was involved matters, and a clear disclosure page gives them the information they need without requiring the developer to change their workflow.
What AI disclosure could look like
The Pagecord approach is specific and limited. The disclosure page explains what AI is used for in development, not in the product itself. It does not claim the software is AI-free, and it does not apologize for using tools that most developers use daily. It simply tells the truth about the process.
For other developers considering similar disclosure, the format matters. A page that says "we use AI" without specifics tells the user nothing. A page that says "AI assisted with code generation and bug reproduction, but product decisions, design, and content are human-driven" gives the user something actionable. The level of detail determines whether disclosure is a genuine transparency gesture or a checkbox exercise.
The question of whether more companies should adopt this practice has no universal answer. It depends on the audience, the product, and the developer's own values. But the fact that the question is being asked at all reflects a shift in how developers and users think about the role of AI in software creation. The tools are here. The debate now is about how honestly we talk about using them.