What is vibe coding? Explanation and examples
Erwin Berkouwer
Vibe coding is building software by steering an AI model in natural language, where the user mainly tests and gives feedback rather than writing or reading code. It excels at fast prototypes and low-risk internal tools, but is less suited to production systems with sensitive data or high scale, where review by an experienced developer remains necessary.
Vibe coding means building software by telling an AI in plain language what you want, instead of writing code line by line yourself. Fast results, but not without risk.
What is vibe coding?
Vibe coding is a way of building software where you tell an AI model in plain language what you want to create, and the model generates, adjusts, and (partly) tests the code, while you mainly steer toward the outcome rather than writing every line of code yourself.
The term was popularised by AI researcher Andrej Karpathy, who described it as fully giving in to the AI's suggestions and 'forgetting the code even exists', you judge the result, not every line.
The difference with traditional AI-assisted programming: with vibe coding you often don't read or understand the generated code in detail. You test whether it works, give feedback in natural language ('make the button bigger', 'fix this error'), and let the AI handle the rest.
How does vibe coding work in practice?
The process usually follows these steps:
- You describe in plain language what the application should do
- The AI generates a first version of the code
- You test the result (in the browser, app, or tool)
- You give feedback in plain language about what's still wrong
- The AI adjusts the code, and you repeat steps 3 and 4 until it works as intended
This often happens in tools built specifically for this purpose, where the AI has direct access to a development environment and can create files, run code, and attempt to fix errors on its own.
Why does this matter for SMEs?
Vibe coding lowers the barrier to quickly building a prototype, internal tool, or simple application, without needing to hire a developer for every small change. For SMEs, this means ideas can be tested faster.
Examples of use cases where vibe coding can add value for SMEs:
- An internal dashboard to track inventory or orders
- A simple customer portal prototype to test with users
- A script that combines data from two systems into a report
- Quickly setting up and adjusting a landing page or form
Vibe coding excels at speed and experimentation, but is less suited to systems where security, scalability, or long-term maintenance are critical.
Example
A business owner wants a simple tool to automatically categorise leads from a form. Instead of briefing a developer and waiting for a quote, they describe to an AI coding tool: "Make a page where I see a list of leads, with a button to label them 'warm' or 'cold'." Within a few iterations there's a working prototype, which is then optionally reviewed by a developer before it actually goes into production.
When to use it, when not to
Well suited for:
- Prototypes and proof-of-concepts
- Internal tools with limited use and low risk
- Quickly experimenting with an idea before investing in full development
Less suited for:
- Applications that process personal data or sensitive business data without a security review
- Systems that need to scale to many users or require high reliability
- Software that needs long-term maintenance, since nobody truly understands the code, which makes later maintenance difficult
A common pitfall is putting a vibe-coded prototype straight into production without review, which can lead to security gaps or unstable software. At AI consultancy, we typically advise using vibe coding to explore an idea, then having an actual developer look at what needs to be built structurally.
Related terms
Vibe coding relates to broader developments such as 'AI pair programming' (AI assisting while a developer still understands the code) and AI agents that autonomously carry out tasks within a development process. The difference from pair programming is that with vibe coding, human control over the code itself is largely relinquished.
Want to know whether vibe coding, or a more structured approach, fits your business idea? Take the free AI scan to see where AI-driven development offers opportunities for your organisation.
Frequently asked questions
Is vibe coding suitable for production applications?
Only with the necessary caution. For small, low-risk tools it can work, but for applications with sensitive data or many users, a review by an experienced developer is recommended.
Do I need to know how to code to do vibe coding?
No, that's exactly the point: you steer in plain language. Basic knowledge does help in judging whether the result is logical and safe.
What's the difference between vibe coding and no-code tools?
No-code tools work with fixed building blocks and visual interfaces, while vibe coding actually generates programming code from natural language, giving more flexibility but also more unpredictability.
Is vibe coding the same as AI pair programming?
Not quite. In pair programming, the developer still understands and controls the code; in vibe coding, that control is largely given up in favour of speed.
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Is vibe coding suitable for production applications?
Only with the necessary caution. For small, low-risk tools it can work, but for applications with sensitive data or many users, a review by an experienced developer is recommended.
Do I need to know how to code to do vibe coding?
No, that's exactly the point: you steer in plain language. Basic knowledge does help in judging whether the result is logical and safe.
What's the difference between vibe coding and no-code tools?
No-code tools work with fixed building blocks and visual interfaces, while vibe coding actually generates programming code from natural language, giving more flexibility but also more unpredictability.
Is vibe coding the same as AI pair programming?
Not quite. In pair programming, the developer still understands and controls the code; in vibe coding, that control is largely given up in favour of speed.
