The term "Vibe Coding" has established itself in the developer community as a description for a new approach: programming through natural language with AI assistants like Claude Code, Cursor, or GitHub Copilot, where the developer sets the direction and the AI writes the code.
What Vibe Coding Is
Vibe Coding means: you describe what you want, and the AI produces the code. The developer reviews, corrects, and iterates — but writes less themselves. The name comes from the idea that you convey the "vibe" of the project, not the exact syntax.
The Criticism
Traditional developers see Vibe Coding as a threat to the craft. Those who no longer write code themselves do not understand what is happening. Errors go unrecognized. Technical debt accumulates invisibly.
The Counterargument
Proponents argue: Vibe Coding lowers the barrier to entry. People who previously could not build software now can. The first thing Vibe Coding builds is not the app — it is the confidence that you can build something at all. And that is valuable.
At the same time, the craft will not die. Someone has to review the generated code, decide on architecture, diagnose performance issues. Vibe Coding shifts the developer's role from code writer to code reviewer — similar to how CAD shifted the architect's role from draftsman to designer.
Source: The Register, "The first thing vibe coding builds is confidence it will help you succeed" (29.03.2026).