Not all AI-assisted programming is vibe coding (but vibe coding rocks)

Author: Simon Willison
Source: https://simonwillison.net/2025/Mar/19/vibe-coding/

#programming #vibe-coding #tech

Summary

Software programming with the help of AI is not specifically Vibe Coding. Vibe Coding refers to not really caring about the code that the AI writes and only caring about the results it produced.

Takeaways

"When I talk about vibe coding I mean building software with an LLM without reviewing the code it writes."

• Vibe coding is meant for low-stakes (e.g. throwaway) projects and prototypes, not full-scale projects involving high-security limits and involving NDAs
• Benefits:
  • It would be helpful for non-technical people who just want to automate some, or even most of their work
  • It's helpful to understand how to code better and lower the learning curve
  • It might spark some interest in non-technical people to dive into coding more
  • Encourages experimentation and focuses on results, not the process
• It's meant for experimentation without getting too into the nitty gritty of things
• How to vibe-code responsibly:
  • The project being worked on must be low-stakes (e.g. a personal tool)
    • Check for security and make sure that safety features (e.g. using a sandbox environment) are being used
  • • Be aware of data privacy rules
      • Always enable encryption for passwords
      • Make sure repositories are safeguarded with rulesets or passwords
• Another article by the same author argues that vibe coding is not for software engineers. However, I digress--it is possible for technical people to vibe code as well, as it is a helpful tool in experimentation. ^[1]