Andreas Jud
In the world of software development, things are changing fast. Coding used to mean writing every single line by hand. Now, thanks to artificial intelligence (AI), there's a more creative and flexible way to build software - it's called vibe coding.
This idea was made popular by AI expert Andrej Karpathy in early 2025. It’s all about using smart AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and GitHub Copilot to turn your ideas into code - without needing to be a coding expert.
What Does "Vibe Coding" Mean?
Vibe coding lets you describe what you want to build in plain language, and the AI turns your idea into working code.
Imagine saying:
“I want an animated background that changes colors with music.”
The AI then generates the code for that idea!
Vibe coding lets you quickly test your creative ideas by jumping straight into building, following a “Code First, Refine Later” approach. Instead of over-planning, you start with a quick version, test it, and improve as you go. The AI helps handle the boring or complex parts, while you stay in control by guiding and refining the results - keeping the creativity and direction in your hands.
The bad side of Vibe Coding
Vibe coding is exciting, but it has some downsides:
- Not great for complex apps
AI can help with basic code, but for complex solutions human skills are still needed. - Code might be messy
AI-generated code often needs cleaning up to make it fast and secure. - Debugging is hard
It can be tricky to fix AI code since you didn’t write it yourself. - Maintenance can be tough
Without good structure, updating AI-generated projects can be confusing later. - Security risks
AI could miss dangerous bugs or vulnerabilities, that's why it is always still necessary to inspect the code before deploying it. - Less personal satisfaction
For some developers it can reduce the developer’s sense of ownership or accomplishment. When AI does much of the heavy lifting, especially in the early stages of coding, developers might feel like they're not "really building" things themselves.
Some Vibe Coding tools
Here are some tools and platforms that make vibe coding possible and easy to get started with:
- ChatGPT (Generic AI which does coding pretty well)
- Replit (great for beginners)
- Claude (ChatGPT alternative, sometimes with better results)
- Cursor (specialized code editor for AI-based development)
- Lovable (lets you build web apps and UIs)
- GitHub Copilot (AI-powered code suggestions in real time)
- Windsurf (alternative to Copilot)
What's Next: The Rise of VibeOps
VibeOps is a new term for managing software using AI tools. The idea is to automate more of the development process so people can focus on creativity and innovation. It’s still evolving and will need human input to work well - but it’s changing how teams build software.
Vibe coding is a new way of writing software using AI.
You give the AI your ideas in simple words, and it helps you create the code. It’s faster, convenient, and great for beginners, entrepreneurs and even experienced developers who want to speed things up.
However, AI is just an assistant - not a replacement, at least not in the near future. Developers are still the kings and queens of programming because it is essential to review, debug, refine, and ensure the code written by the AI bot is production-ready.
In the end, my friends, there's no getting around the need to truly understand the basics of programming and how the code works.