Vibe Coding: The New Way to Code with AI
- JP
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Have you ever imagined creating a system just by describing what it should do—without manually writing every line of code? With the rise of natural language models like ChatGPT, this is not only possible—it’s becoming a new way to program. And it even has a name: Vibe Coding.
Popularized by Andrej Karpathy, this concept offers a lighter, faster, and more creative approach to software development using artificial intelligence. In this guide, you'll learn what it is, how it works, and how to apply it using modern tools.
What is Vibe Coding?
Vibe Coding is a development style where you interact with an AI (like ChatGPT, Claude, or Copilot), describing what you want in natural language, and the AI generates the corresponding code.
Unlike traditional development, where programmers type everything manually, Vibe Coding promotes collaboration with AI, turning the process into something more:
Iterative: you generate, test, adjust, and repeat.
Expressive: the AI interprets your intent, not just commands.
Creative: it allows rapid prototyping of ideas.
Why is Vibe Coding Important?
1. Accessibility for Everyone
With Vibe Coding, anyone with an idea can start building without mastering a programming language. Perfect for entrepreneurs, designers, and analysts.
2. Speed
Describe a feature, and within seconds, you have functional code to test. This drastically reduces the time needed to develop MVPs.
3. Focus on Logic, Not Syntax
The AI handles the technical parts, allowing you to focus on business logic, architecture, and usability.
4. Fewer Meetings, More Code
Teams can skip bureaucratic steps, like long design doc validations, and go straight to prototyping.
How to Apply Vibe Coding in Practice
1. Start with a Clear Description
Before using AI, think about how you’d explain the system to a technical colleague. Avoid vague instructions. The more specific you are, the better the results.
Bad example:
“I want a registration site."
Good example:
“Create a REST API in Node.js with two endpoints: POST /users (to register a user with name and email) and GET /users/{id} to fetch a user by ID. Store the data in SQLite.”
Tip: use verbs like "use," "implement," "store," "validate," and "authenticate" to make your intent clearer to the AI.
2. Choose the Right Tool for Vibe Coding
Here are some tools that follow the "you write, AI codes" model:
Code editor with AI built in.
Great as a VS Code replacement, with features like generation, refactoring, and code explanations.
Supports larger contexts than traditional Copilot.
Full online development environment.
You code in the browser and interact with AI as you go.
Supports multiple languages and easy deploy integration.
Code assistant within VS Code.
Auto-completes functions, tests, and even comments.
Excellent for those already using Git and working in repos.
[ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini]
More flexible tools for generating on-demand code blocks.
Use them to create snippets, review, explain, and debug code.
Combine with your favorite editor for a powerful experience.
3. Generate and Iteratively Review Code
Now it’s time to interact with AI. The basic process:
Prompt: describe what you want.
Generated code: the AI delivers a functional structure.
Tests: run it and see if it meets expectations.
Feedback: ask for specific adjustments or improvements.
Prompt example:
"Create a Flask backend with a GET endpoint that returns a product list from a SQLite database. Include error handling and logging."
Post-test adjustment examples:
“"Add JWT token authentication.”“Improve variable names to reflect best practices."“Explain how error handling is implemented.”
4. Break Projects into Smaller Parts
Avoid overwhelming the AI with requests for entire systems at once. Work incrementally:
Start with the app’s base structure
Then build the endpoints
Follow with authentication
Add tests, documentation, etc.
This incremental flow increases accuracy and gives you more control over quality.
5. Refactor and Validate the Generated Code
Even with AI support, it's essential to:
Review every function
Add automated tests
Run tools like linters, formatters, and security analyzers
Tip: you can even ask the AI to generate tests using Pytest, JUnit, etc.
Best Practices for Vibe Coding
Use comments in your prompts: "add docstrings," "explain logic"
Save your prompts to reproduce versions or revisit ideas
Combine with versioning tools (like GitHub) to maintain control
Conclusion: Is Vibe Coding the Future?
Vibe Coding isn't just a shortcut. It’s a new approach to development, where collaboration between humans and AI accelerates software creation with more freedom, less bureaucracy, and a lot more creativity.
You stop coding out of obligation and start designing solutions in a more fluid way. But I do have a few caveats about this methodology. After running some tests and reading reports in dev communities, even though AI can generate a solid MVP, it may leave security loopholes that put the entire project at risk.
My recommendation: always thoroughly review the code and pay special attention to security concerns and anything that might compromise privacy or compliance guidelines.
See Yall!
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