Developers Speak Out on Vibe Coding
The internet and my inbox have been abuzz with buzz about vibe coding. Vibe coding, if you’ve been living under a rock for the past few weeks, is the practice of letting an AI guide your coding while you sit back, drink coffee, watch YouTube videos, and play Cities: Skylines 2, all while taking to Reddit and sharing your opinion on the ranking of Star Wars vs. Star Trek vs. Stargate.
For the record, it’s Stargate, then Star Trek, then Star Wars, but I digress. Seriously, vibe coding was a term coined by a former OpenAI founder and master programmer who waxed poetic about using an AI to do a lot of his coding’s more prosaic work. I went into substantial depth about that post and the definition of vibe coding in my previous article on the topic.
Developers Speak Out
I decided to reach out to real professional developers and ask their opinions. As you’re about to see, some like the concept and say that AIs are saving them a ton of time, but most are concerned that non-pro developers and junior coders might miss important coding considerations and thereby produce code that’s somewhere on the spectrum from junk to janky to downright dangerous.
Todd Olson, Co-Founder/CEO of Pendo
Vibe coding changes how we build, but not why we build. The goal isn’t to produce more software; it’s to create better software experiences. Without a clear understanding of user needs, vibe coding risks amplifying misalignment at scale.
Chris Reynolds, Developer Advocate and Software Engineer at Pantheon
The most important thing for me about vibe coding is that there needs to be a human operator who is actually smarter than the computer. One of the problems of using LLMs for development is they make stuff up that sounds feasible, and they only do deeper research or consider things like security or best practices if prompted.
Jamie Marsland, YouTube Manager and Developer at Automattic
We’re entering a new era where the web becomes a canvas for dynamic, app-like experiences. As AI, no-code tools, and automation remove technical barriers, creators of all kinds are free to build richer, more interactive digital worlds. The lines between websites and apps are blurring — and with it comes a surge of creativity that redefines what’s possible online.
Bill Salak, CTO of School Test Prep Service Brainly
In tech, vibe coding, we refine, restructure, and test the code, cutting down development time significantly. In a recent AI-powered session, I entered the requirements for a new product, switched back to my other work, and checked back a few minutes later. Within 20 minutes, I had a functional prototype ready for refinement and testing. AI has been a game-changer in our ability to quickly deliver features that customers want, and vibe coding has proven to be my go-to approach for rapidly building MVPs.
Leonardo Losoviz, Developer of WordPress Data Management Plugin Gato GraphQL
I’m currently integrating my plugin Gato GraphQL to use vibe coding to create extensions, with the goal of creating all the extensions that my customers are demanding in a couple of weeks (normally it’d take a few months).
John Campbell, Director of Content Engineering at Security Journey
Vibe coding is set to revolutionize software development by making developers more efficient and enabling individuals with limited technical expertise to expand their access to software tools. However, there are concerns. Just like a teenager experiencing the thrill of driving for the first time, that freedom would quickly turn to chaos without traffic laws, safety features, and guardrails.
Rhys Wynn, Freelance WordPress Developer
I think vibe coding is a phrase invented by people who think that AI-generated code is safe and secure, and want to position themselves in a market they maybe shouldn’t be in. Every single vibe coding project I’ve seen has been insecure, not able to answer a use case, or just emulating better things that exist already.
What Does it All Mean?
Some developers have seen rapid improvements in coding time using AI development tools. However, the prevailing opinion amongst nearly all the developers here is that (a) vibe coding is not for newbies, and (b) vibe coding could leave some problematic security and reliability problems.
Conclusion
Vibe coding, for a very experienced developer, is kind of like being in a flow state. A lot of work can be accomplished by being in flow. But the prevailing opinion amongst nearly all the developers here is that (a) vibe coding is not for newbies, and (b) vibe coding could leave some problematic security and reliability problems.
FAQs
Q: What is vibe coding?
A: Vibe coding is the practice of letting an AI guide your coding while you sit back and let the AI do the work for you.
Q: Is vibe coding safe?
A: Some developers are concerned that vibe coding could leave some problematic security and reliability problems.
Q: Is vibe coding for newbies?
A: No, the prevailing opinion amongst nearly all the developers here is that vibe coding is not for newbies.
Q: What are the benefits of vibe coding?
A: Some developers have seen rapid improvements in coding time using AI development tools.
Q: What are the risks of vibe coding?
A: The risks of vibe coding include problematic security and reliability problems.
