Six questions to ask any AI-assisted development service
| Ask | A good answer | A warning sign |
|---|---|---|
| Who builds and reviews the work? | A named company and named people, and where a person checks the output | “The AI builds it” with no one accountable |
| Where does the code live? | In a repository you can access, from the first week | Only on the vendor’s platform, delivered at the end |
| What is written down before you pay? | Scope, what is not included, and the assumptions behind the price | A feature list and a monthly fee |
| How is the price fixed? | Against an agreed specification, with changes priced before approval | A price that moves with “usage” or “credits” you cannot predict |
| What happens if you leave — or they do? | You keep the specification and, under your contract, the code and credentials | Your app cannot run anywhere else |
| Can you verify the company? | Founding year, location, certifications you can check with the issuer | Claims you can only check with the vendor |
What happened at Builder.ai
Builder.ai, also known as Engineer.ai Corporation, had raised more than $450 million. In May 2025 it announced it was appointing an administrator, saying it had been “unable to recover from historic challenges and past decisions that placed significant strain on its financial position” (TechCrunch, 20 May 2025). Its backers included Microsoft and Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund (The Register, 21 May 2025). Both checked 5 October 2026.
Size and famous investors did not protect customers. What protects a customer is what they hold on their own side when something goes wrong.
AI is not the risk. Opacity is.
AI tools genuinely speed up how software is written and tested. The risk sits elsewhere: a service where you cannot see who does the work, cannot reach your code, and cannot check the scope until the bill arrives. Those were risks before AI, and they are the same risks now — just easier to hide behind the word “AI”.
What to keep on your side as you go
- The specification — what was agreed, in writing, with what is not included
- The code — in a repository you can reach, if your contract gives it to you
- Credentials — for hosting, domains, payment and email services, in your name
- Decisions — the assumptions and changes, so the next team does not start from zero
How Pricient works
Pricient is by IOanyT. IOanyT was founded in 2016 in Noida, has 50+ engineers, holds ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and ISO 9001:2015 certification and is an AWS Advanced Partner — all checkable.
Before you pay anything you receive the specification, wireframes of every screen, the Not in this release list, the assumptions register and a three-tier itemized quote, every one reviewed by a person and locked for 14 days. Today a person runs the intake with you by email. If you decide to build elsewhere, the Portable Spec Pack is licensed to travel to any vendor — and credited in full if you build with IOanyT.
For founders, the launch-ready MVP starts from $7,500, fixed once your spec is agreed: live 3 weeks after the spec is agreed, security-hardened, 80% test coverage and three months of support.