In February 2025, Andrej Karpathy — former head of AI at Tesla — described a new way of writing software where you talk to an AI and it builds what you describe. He called it "vibe coding."
Collins English Dictionary named it Word of the Year for 2025. By 2026, it's just... how a lot of people build things.
What It Actually Means
Vibe coding is writing software by describing what you want to an AI tool and letting it generate the code. You focus on the what, the AI handles the how.
You're not writing code line by line. You're having a conversation:
"Add a dark mode toggle that saves the user's preference to localStorage"
The AI writes the component, the CSS variables, the toggle logic, and the localStorage persistence. You review it, test it, ship it.
The Tools
| Tool | Best For | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Code | Deep codebase understanding | $20/mo |
| Cursor | Fast completions in VS Code | $20/mo |
| GitHub Copilot | Budget autocomplete | $10/mo |
| Bolt / Lovable | Non-technical users | $20-30/mo |
For real production work, Claude Code and Cursor lead the pack. For quick prototypes, Bolt and Lovable are surprisingly capable.
Is Vibe-Coded Software Actually Good?
Honest answer: depends who's vibing.
Senior engineer + AI: Production-quality output. They know what to ask for, catch mistakes, and understand edge cases. The AI accelerates them 3-5x.
Beginner + AI: Works on the surface, but often has security holes and performance issues. The AI doesn't know what you don't know.
Best analogy: vibe coding is like having a very fast junior developer. Great code, most of the time. But someone senior still needs to review it.
How to Start
- Pick Claude Code or Cursor
- Start with a real project (not a tutorial)
- Describe outcomes, not implementations
- Review everything the AI generates
- Iterate — first prompt rarely gets it perfect
The Controversy
Some developers see vibe coding as a shortcut that produces fragile software. Others worry it devalues programming skills. Both concerns have merit.
But the tools are getting better faster than the criticism can keep up. Code generated by top AI tools in April 2026 is meaningfully better than six months ago.
The developers who thrive will be the ones who use AI as a multiplier on their existing skills — not a replacement for understanding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is vibe coding?
Vibe coding is writing software by describing what you want to an AI tool in natural language and letting it generate the code. Coined by Andrej Karpathy in February 2025, it became Collins Dictionary's Word of the Year. You focus on the "what," the AI handles the "how."
Is vibe coding good enough for production?
It depends on who's doing it. A senior engineer using vibe coding produces production-quality output — they know what to ask for and catch mistakes. A beginner gets working code with potential security holes. Think of it as having a very fast junior developer: great output most of the time, but someone experienced needs to review it.
What tools are used for vibe coding?
The main tools are Claude Code ($20/month) for deep codebase understanding, Cursor ($20/month) for fast IDE completions, and GitHub Copilot ($10/month) for budget autocomplete. For non-technical users, Bolt.new and Lovable ($20-30/month) can build apps from descriptions alone.
Will vibe coding replace programmers?
No. Vibe coding makes programmers faster, not obsolete. You still need to understand what you're building, review AI output, debug issues, and make architectural decisions. The developers who thrive are the ones who use AI as a multiplier on their existing skills.
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