“Describe what you want. The AI writes the code. You test and iterate.”
— Andrej Karpathy, 2025
What if you could build full features by just describing them in natural language? That’s not the future — that’s vibe coding, and it’s already reshaping how developers work.
In this post, let’s unpack what vibe coding is, how it works, the tools behind it, and what it means for the future of software development.
🤔 What Is Vibe Coding?
Coined by Andrej Karpathy, vibe coding refers to a new workflow where developers guide AI models to write code through iterative prompting.
It’s not just autocomplete. You describe what you want — UI components, APIs, logic — and the AI responds with working code. You then test it, adjust your prompt, and repeat until it clicks.
🧪 How It Works
Here’s what a typical vibe coding session might look like:
You prompt:
“Build a React component that displays a weather forecast using OpenWeatherMap API.”AI responds:
Provides a full React component with fetch logic.You iterate:
“Add loading state. Now switch to Tailwind for styling.”AI updates the code. You deploy. Done.
It’s a mix of pair programming and creative direction — powered by AI.
🛠️ Tools That Enable Vibe Coding
Here are some tools making vibe coding a daily habit for developers:
Tool | Description |
---|---|
Cursor | A code editor like VS Code, with deep LLM integration |
ChatGPT / Gemini / Claude | Prompt-based assistants for generating and explaining code |
Replit Ghostwriter | In-browser coding with AI assistance |
Continue.dev | Open-source AI pair programmer for your local IDE |
✅ Why Devs Are Adopting It
Vibe coding isn’t just a gimmick — it’s already boosting productivity and creativity:
- 🚀 Speed: Quickly prototype features, components, or scripts
- 🎨 Creativity: Focus more on architecture and UX
- 🧠 Learning: Great for understanding new libraries or concepts
- 🧼 Boilerplate relief: No more writing repetitive code blocks
It turns your thoughts into code — and makes programming feel less like manual labor and more like creative flow.
⚠️ Caveats & Cautions
Despite the hype, vibe coding has its pitfalls:
- 🧱 Brittle logic: LLMs can hallucinate or use outdated APIs
- 🕵️♂️ Trust issues: You still need to read, test, and understand the code
- 🔐 Security flaws: LLMs might write insecure or inefficient implementations
- 🧹 Debugging pain: It’s harder to debug something you didn’t write from scratch
Vibe responsibly: AI is your assistant, not your QA team.
🧑💻 The Dev's Role Is Evolving
In the world of vibe coding, the skillset of a developer is shifting:
Old World | Vibe World |
---|---|
Code everything yourself | Prompt, review, refine |
Memorize syntax | Understand concepts |
Debug boilerplate | Curate and guide AI output |
Write all tests | Ask AI to help write them, then validate |
You're no longer just a coder — you're a code director.
🔮 Final Thoughts: Is Vibe Coding the Future?
Absolutely — but it’s not a replacement for developers. It’s an augmentation.
Vibe coding amplifies your productivity and creativity, but your fundamentals, judgment, and ability to reason through problems are still irreplaceable.
This is not about coding less — it’s about coding smarter.
The future isn’t typing faster — it’s thinking better.
💬 What’s Your Take?
Have you tried vibe coding yet? Are you using tools like Cursor, Replit, or ChatGPT to write actual production code? Share your experience in the comments.