Vibe coding: How AI Is Bringing the Vibe to Software Development






A new term that’s been making waves lately is vibe coding. Simply put, vibe coding is about using LLMs (Large Language Models) to help you write code. The term was coined by Andrej Karpathy, a co-founder of OpenAI and former AI leader at Tesla, in February 2025.

The idea behind vibe coding is simple: instead of manually writing every line of code, programmers can describe what they want in natural language, and an AI model generates the working code for them. Karpathy summed it up perfectly when he said, "The hottest new programming language is English." His point? With LLMs advancing rapidly, we may not need to learn programming languages in the traditional way — we can just tell AI what we want, and it will handle the rest.

So, vibe coding is when you tell a computer, in plain English (or any other language you speak), what kind of program you want — and the computer writes the code for you.

Let’s say you want a program that sends an email. Instead of writing the whole code yourself, you just describe what you want:
"Write a program to send an email."

An AI tool, like ChatGPT or GitHub Copilot, understands that and gives you the actual code. That’s vibe coding — you’re coding by describing the vibe of what you want, not by writing every single line yourself.

It’s kind of like giving instructions to a very smart assistant who knows how to code really well. You don’t need to know the syntax or memorize the functions — just explain what you're trying to do, and the AI helps you build it.

What vibe coding is not

But before we go further, it’s important to understand what vibe coding is not.

Vibe coding doesn’t mean that anyone can build complex software systems without any technical understanding. It’s not magic. You still need to know what you’re trying to build, how the different parts of a system work together, and how to check if the code is doing what it’s supposed to do. Vibe coding also isn’t a replacement for good software design, debugging skills, or understanding the logic behind what you're asking the AI to create.

Think of it like this: if traditional coding is like building something from scratch with raw materials, vibe coding is like giving clear instructions to a skilled assistant who can assemble it quickly for you — but only if you know what you want and can guide them.

So while vibe coding makes programming more accessible and faster, it still benefits greatly from a solid foundation in logic, systems thinking, and problem-solving.

Does it mean that you can not know programming and still generate code

Yes, that’s true — especially for people from non-computer backgrounds who need to generate small bits of code. You don’t necessarily need to know how to program in depth to get started. I come from a strong technical background myself, and even I turn to these tools when exploring new technologies or trying out unfamiliar libraries and frameworks.

Another place where I find vibe coding tools — especially LLMs — incredibly useful is in debugging or troubleshooting programs. Sometimes the issue isn't with your logic but with configurations, environment settings, or specific prerequisites tied to a library. These are things you might not know off the top of your head.

Before LLMs, we relied on forums like Stack Overflow, Quora, or CodeProject. These are great, but often you have to dig through long threads, piece together partial answers, and spend time reading before you even get close to a solution. It’s not always a direct path.

With LLMs, things have become significantly easier. You can simply describe what your code is trying to do, share the relevant parts, and explain what’s not working. In return, you get focused, contextual suggestions — sometimes multiple solution paths. In my experience, they’re often spot on and save a lot of time.

It’s not that vibe coding makes deep programming knowledge useless — but it does lower the barrier to entry and speeds up problem-solving. And for beginners or even seasoned developers facing unfamiliar problems, that’s a huge win.

Are programmers jobs at stake

Vibe coding won’t replace software developers — just some parts of their job.
 Vibe coding is when you describe what you want, and an AI writes the code for you. It’s fast and useful, but coding is only a small part of what software developers actually do. There’s a lot more to building good software than just typing out code.

Understanding what needs to be built
 Before any code is written, developers need to understand the problem. This means talking to people, asking questions, and figuring out what the software is really supposed to do. Many times, people don’t explain everything clearly, so developers have to dig deeper — something AI can’t really do.

Figuring out the details
 People often have a rough idea of what they want, but not the full picture. Developers help turn that idea into clear, detailed steps. They help shape the final plan by discussing, suggesting, and adjusting things along the way.

Designing the system
 Once the idea is clear, developers decide how to build it. Should it be one big program or smaller pieces? How will the parts talk to each other? How will it grow in the future? These decisions make a huge difference and need experience — not just code.

Making it easy to use
 It’s not enough for software to just work — it should be easy and enjoyable to use. Developers think about the user experience, handle errors, and make sure it works well on different devices. AI can create buttons and screens, but it doesn’t think like a user.

Checking the code
 AI can write code, but someone still has to check if it’s correct, safe, and efficient. Developers test the code, fix issues, and make sure it doesn’t break anything else. Good software needs human eyes on it.

Working with others
 Developers don’t work alone. They work with designers, testers, managers, and others to build the final product. They explain ideas, solve problems together, and keep everything moving. AI doesn’t join team meetings — at least not yet!

So, with vibe coding and tools like LLMs generating entire blocks of code from plain English, it does look like a big shift. Some routine coding tasks will definitely be automated. So yes, certain parts of a programmer’s job — especially repetitive or boilerplate code — are changing.

But that doesn’t mean developers are going away. In fact, the value of a good developer may actually increase — because now, it's less about writing lines of code and more about solving problems, understanding systems, and designing solutions that last.

So, here’s a bit of unsolicited advice: focus on the fundamentals. Not just how to code, but why things work the way they do. Learn core computer science concepts — data structures, algorithms, system design, how the internet works, how memory is managed. These are the skills that go beyond any one language or tool.

Languages will change. AI tools will keep getting smarter. But if you understand how to solve problems with technology, you’ll stay relevant — and valuable — no matter what the next wave looks like.

And honestly, we’ve seen this shift before. Programming has been moving up the abstraction ladder for decades — from assembly to C, then to Java, Python, and now prompt-based coding. Each generation of tools has made development more accessible, and every time, people worried it would make programmers lazy. But history shows us that good developers don’t disappear — they just evolve.

What’s happening now is more than just another abstraction — it’s a mindset shift: from syntax to semantics. Instead of focusing on getting every character and keyword exactly right, developers are being encouraged to think more deeply about what they want to build, why it matters, and how different components should interact. The how (the syntax) is increasingly handled by tools, while the what and why (the semantics) are where human creativity and problem-solving still shine.

Limitations and Risks of Vibe Coding

Vibe coding is exciting, no doubt — but it’s not without its downsides, especially for those just starting out.

One big risk is overdependence on AI. When an LLM is doing most of the coding for you, it’s tempting to skip learning the basics. But without a strong foundation in programming concepts, you might end up copy-pasting code without truly understanding how or why it works.

And here’s the thing: AI can give you code, but it doesn’t guarantee that it will work exactly the way you expect. When something breaks — and it often does — if you don’t understand the fundamentals, you may not know where to even begin fixing it.

Another key point: while AI can help you fix bugs or suggest alternatives, it’s not great at designing software from scratch. Good software design still requires human thinking — you need to understand the problem, structure your solution, consider edge cases, scalability, and more. The creative and strategic side of coding is something AI can support, but not replace.

So yes, vibe coding is powerful — but it works best when combined with solid programming knowledge and critical thinking.



Some tools for vibe coding 

There are many tools where AI-assisted coding is now possible. I’ve provided a list of some of those here. I’ve worked with a few of them myself.

Cursor is like a smarter version of the popular VS Code editor. It acts as your AI coding buddy—you can explain what you want in plain English, and it helps you write code while keeping track of your work.

Windsurf is an experimental coding environment where multiple AI agents team up to help you build software. Think of it like a group of AI assistants working behind the scenes, especially helpful when you have a goal in mind but need help getting there.

Replit + Ghostwriter offers a cloud-based place to write, test, and run code. It comes with Ghostwriter, an AI assistant that helps you code faster. It's great for quick projects, learning by doing, or collaborating with others in real-time.

Sweep.dev is a tool that automates coding tasks based on your to-do list on GitHub. You write a task, and it turns that into actual code changes. Perfect for saving time on repetitive or routine coding jobs.

Continue.dev brings AI chat and coding help directly inside your code editor. It’s like having ChatGPT right there as you work, offering suggestions and helping debug. It’s open-source and can even run on your own computer for privacy.


Final thoughts

Vibe coding is making software development a bit easier whether it’s writing bits of code, or fixing tricky bugs. Developers can focus more on solving problems and less on repetitive work. Even if you're not in tech, it's easy to see how this shift could make building software more accessible and creative. We're entering a phase where coding isn’t just technical—it’s starting to feel a lot more like collaboration.

 

By Rajashree Rajadhyax




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