Vibe Coding: A New Way to Build Software with AI Collaboration

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What Is Vibe Coding?

Vibe Coding is a new trend in software development that allows programmers to create applications using natural language instructions and AI tools. Instead of writing every line of code manually, developers can now describe their goals in plain language. AI tools then generate working code, user interfaces, and supporting logic. This approach is changing how people build software.

The term became widely known after Andrej Karpathy, a researcher at OpenAI, mentioned it on social media. In just a few weeks, the idea spread through the developer community. Vibe Coding reflects a growing shift from traditional coding to human-AI collaboration.

In fact, this change is happening faster than many expected. Jared Friedman, managing partner at Y Combinator, noted that in their Winter 2025 startup batch, one quarter of teams said that over 95 percent of their code was generated by AI.

So what exactly has changed? Let us look at three key shifts: in logic, focus, and process.

I. Development Logic Has Changed

In the past, developers wrote every function, fixed every error, and managed each detail by hand. This made project speed and quality highly dependent on individual skill. Small mistakes in syntax or logic could take hours to solve. Writing repeated code blocks also took up a lot of time.

Vibe Coding frees developers from low-level concerns. The focus shifts from how to write code to what the code should achieve.

Modern AI coding tools like GitHub Copilot or CodeLlama are trained on large code bases. They can read and understand natural language, then produce working code that meets current standards. These tools help translate abstract ideas into executable code quickly and accurately.

Another major change is the ability to work in parallel. In traditional development, analysis, design, coding, and testing happen one after the other. With Vibe Coding, some of these steps can happen at the same time. For example, when a developer is designing a database, the AI can start generating basic API code in parallel. When tuning an algorithm, the AI can write test cases for edge scenarios.

AI-generated code is not just copied from a template. It can follow project context, adapt to team coding styles, and explore different solutions to complex problems. This makes AI not just a tool but a creative partner. It moves development from human-only work to human-AI teamwork.

Now, developers focus more on whether the outcome meets the goal, not how the outcome is achieved. As Karpathy said, “Vibe Coding takes programming back to the core of problem solving, not syntax games.”

II. Development Focus Has Shifted

In traditional development, strong coding ability was the main way to measure a developer’s skill. Those who could write fast, clean, and accurate code were seen as the most capable. Developers spent years mastering syntax, libraries, and data structures.

Vibe Coding changes this. Since AI now handles most of the code writing, coding speed is no longer the key skill. Instead, the ability to turn a need into a clear instruction has become more important.

This is known as "requirement transformation." Developers must be able to take a high-level or vague request and turn it into clear, detailed instructions that AI can follow. The better the instruction, the better the AI output.

For example, if a developer is asked to improve how an e-commerce app updates order status, they need to explain the logic clearly to the AI:

Use Java and Spring Boot to create an order status listener. When the payment system sends a "success" message, change the order status from "pending" to "paid", call the inventory service to reduce stock using product ID and quantity, and store the update in a MySQL table named order_log with columns for order ID, old status, new status, and time. If stock is not enough, set the status to "payment failed" and return error code 1001.

Only with this level of detail can AI generate the correct code. The ability to write such instructions clearly is now a key skill. It directly affects the quality and usefulness of AI-generated results.

III. Development Process Has Evolved

In the past, software development followed a serial process. Each step had to wait for the one before it. This made the entire process slower and less flexible. If something went wrong in coding, earlier steps had to be reviewed and adjusted, causing more delay.

Vibe Coding improves this by allowing different steps to happen at the same time. For example:

• During requirement analysis, the AI can generate the first version of the code.
• During system design, the AI can start creating related function modules.
• During testing, the AI can make real-time fixes based on test results.

This reduces the waiting time between steps and makes the workflow faster. Developers no longer need to stop one task to start another. Instead, they can use AI to build multiple parts of the project in parallel.

Vibe Coding is not meant to replace traditional programming. It is a complementary method. As computer scientist Donald Knuth once said, “Programs are written for people to read, and only incidentally for machines to execute.” Vibe Coding supports this idea. It lets developers focus more on the meaning of the program, not just its structure. It also opens the door for more people to participate in software creation, not only expert coders.

Conclusion

Vibe Coding is more than a trend. It is a sign that development is changing. AI is now a real part of the software creation process. It helps developers focus on goals, understand requirements better, and work more efficiently.

In this new environment, the key skill is not just how well you write code, but how well you describe what you need. Vibe Coding invites us to build not just with code, but with clarity, collaboration, and creativity.

Have you tried Vibe Coding? What do you think? Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences.