By Dr Pavan Gurazada, Senior Faculty, Great Learning, Adjunct Lecturer, Northwestern University
Ever since OpenAI co-founder Andrej Karpathy introduced the term vibe coding a couple of months ago, it has quickly become a buzzword in the world of coding. Vibe coding is an AI-dependent programming technique where programmers can write prompts in simple English and rely on AI tools or platforms to generate code. They can do this irrespective of whether they have any prior knowledge of coding. They can also modify the code solely through prompts without manually reading it. Vibe coding allows programmers to write code, run tests and present the product with minimal human intervention and no documentation.
It’s easy to see the appeal of vibe coding since it allows for creativity and intuition to be the main fuel of the coding process. It also offers more room for experimentation without needing to conform to traditional programming languages’ rigid constraints, which helps translate into faster testing speeds and the ability to adapt codes on the fly. Will vibe coding change the future of coding? We will have to wait and see.
Pros and Cons
Vibe Coding has become an increasingly popular approach to software development as it uses intuition more than preset and unbending frameworks to build. Y Combinator recently reported that 25% of startups in Silicon Valley use AI to form 95% of their code base. Google, too, recently revealed that 25% of its new code is AI-generated. This major shift toward using AI for coding gives developers the freedom to experiment with ideas and alter code spontaneously – especially valuable in fast-paced environments like hackathons, startups, and quick proof-of-concept projects.
The appeal of vibe coding lies in its ability to foster innovation, encourage problem-solving on the fly, and produce immediate results with minimal overhead. However, in doing so, vibe coding also does away with the need to document or run risk analysis. Vibe coding works great to generate UI (frontend) code, it lags behind when it comes to building full-stack applications. Also, while its short-term benefits are attractive, the lack of documentation and proper checks could render this type of coding unreliable and unmaintainable in the long term.
Risk Mitigation
Creative approach to coding (vibe coding) can help build fantastic innovations at unprecedented speeds. However, there are some shortcomings to it that can pose significant risks to the product once built. Given that the entire code base is completely AI-generated and tested without human intervention, there is no guarantee for consistency or systematic testing in the coding. This results in fragmented, difficult-to-manage codebases, while the lack of proper architecture and best practices can introduce critical security vulnerabilities. It poses further risks of mismanagement and security threats for future teams working with the same code.
Code complexity is another risk. As vibe coding gives free rein to developers and non-developers, the volume of code is increasing exponentially. Businesses that want to safeguard their codes and products must address this. Vibe coding also has the potential to bring into question the quality of products or outcomes as the code is created and tested by AI, hence blocking out human accessibility.
These risks can be mitigated by striking a healthy balance between intuition and structure. Approaching the coding process with a security-first mindset will help put in place some checks and force developers to document sufficiently. Fostering the creative and experimental nature of vibe coding within a more flexible yet strong architecture will help both developers and businesses achieve the growth they are working toward.
Vibe coding isn’t inherently bad. It offers developers creative space and speed to innovate and create unique products for the future. Nonetheless, it is important to foster this creativity and intuition within a wider structure to ensure scalability and maintain longevity.