Silicon Valley is embracing a new approach to software development: “vibe coding.” Coined by OpenAI cofounder Andrej Karpathy, the term describes a coding style where AI handles most of the heavy lifting, allowing developers to focus on guiding the process rather than writing lines of code manually. Instead of meticulously crafting software, users “see stuff, say stuff, run stuff, and copy-paste stuff,” as Karpathy puts it. Read more on Business Insider.
Vibe coding relies on AI-powered tools like OpenAI’s Composer, Anthropic’s Sonnet, and Replit’s AI agent. These tools enable users to build applications with simple instructions, sometimes without touching a keyboard. Some developers even interact with AI assistants through voice commands, feeding errors directly back to the system for automatic corrections.
The implications are significant. It lowers the barrier to entry for coding, making software development more accessible to beginners. Replit CEO Amjad Masad noted that 75% of Replit users never write a single line of code, highlighting how AI is changing the programming landscape.
However, the approach has its drawbacks. Experts warn that overreliance on AI-generated code may lead to unmanageable technical debt, security vulnerabilities, and difficulty maintaining complex projects. While AI is effective for generating initial drafts, iterating on and debugging AI-written code can be challenging. Andrew Chen of A16z described the experience as both “brilliant” and “enormously frustrating,” noting that AI easily generates the first 75% of a project but struggles with refinements.
Despite these limitations, AI-driven coding is gaining traction. Whether it transforms software engineering or remains a niche tool for rapid prototyping, vibe coding is already influencing how developers—both novice and experienced—interact with code.