10 Expert Developers Discuss the Real Potential and Risks of Vibe Coding

The buzz around vibe coding has been inescapable lately, especially in my inbox, which is flooded with press releases from marketing teams eager to jump on the latest trend. The term, coined by a seasoned programmer from OpenAI, refers to the practice of using AI to handle the mundane aspects of coding, allowing developers to focus on the more creative elements. My previous article delved deep into this concept, exploring its potential and pitfalls.

Also: 10 key reasons AI went mainstream overnight - and what happens next

The term "vibe coding" has a certain allure, not just because it sounds cool, but because it's a marketing dream. It's the kind of word that can instantly make a product seem more appealing. As an AI columnist, I've seen countless press releases trying to ride this wave, often misrepresenting what vibe coding truly means. It was never meant for novices hoping to strike it rich with a hastily assembled app. Instead, it's a tool for experienced developers who can guide the AI and correct its mistakes.

Yet, the market is now flooded with no-code and low-code tools claiming to be the pioneers of vibe coding. These tools, essentially AI-enhanced templates, are far from the original intent of the term.

As a developer and former computer science professor, I shared my thoughts on vibe coding in a recent piece, but I admit my tone can be a bit... colorful. So, I reached out to other professional developers to get their take on it. Their responses were varied, with some praising the efficiency gains, while others expressed concerns about the potential for inexperienced coders to create problematic software.

Also: The best AI for coding (and what not to use)

Developers on Vibe Coding

Todd Olson, co-founder/CEO of usage analytics company Pendo

Todd Olson told ZDNET, "Vibe coding changes how we build, but not why we build. The goal isn't to produce more software; it's to create better software experiences. Without a clear understanding of user needs, vibe coding risks amplifying misalignment at scale."

He added, "AI makes it easier to ship code, but that doesn't guarantee better outcomes. Without clear alignment to user needs, vibe coding can accelerate the creation of software no one uses. This isn't a new challenge, necessarily, but AI raises the stakes."

Chris Reynolds, developer advocate and software engineer at hosting platform Pantheon

Chris Reynolds emphasized the need for human oversight, saying, "The most important thing for me about vibe coding is that there needs to be a human operator who is actually smarter than the computer. One of the problems of using LLMs for development is they make stuff up that sounds feasible, and they only do deeper research or consider things like security or best practices if prompted."

He highlighted the challenges for less experienced developers, noting, "So, if you're just an average power user without any development experience, you could absolutely get AI to build you a cool thing that looks and acts the way you want, but if you don't know how any of it works, when it has issues or bugs or whatever, you can find yourself deeper and deeper in the rabbit hole."

He humorously added, "Vibe coding absolutely needs the human component. You can't just let the robots run wild without checking what it's doing, or you'll absolutely get yourself into trouble."

Jamie Marsland, YouTube manager and a developer at Automattic

Jamie Marsland sees vibe coding as a gateway to creativity, stating, "We're entering a new era where the web becomes a canvas for dynamic, app-like experiences. As AI, no-code tools, and automation remove technical barriers, creators of all kinds are free to build richer, more interactive digital worlds. The lines between websites and apps are blurring -- and with it comes a surge of creativity that redefines what's possible online."

He shared a video where he used AI to "vibe code" a website front end, but he stressed that this was done under the guidance of an experienced developer. He noted that someone new to web development might struggle to provide the necessary direction.

Bill Salak, CTO of AI education company Brainly

Bill Salak views vibe coding as a way to enhance creativity, saying, "In tech, vibe coding is all about working with AI in a fluid, intuitive way, letting it handle the repetitive stuff so developers can focus on creative problem-solving. But vibe coding isn't just for coders. It's also about creating with AI even if you don't know how to write code. It's about removing barriers, making technology accessible, and allowing anyone to build something meaningful. So why aren't we applying that same mindset to learning?"

He extended this idea to education, suggesting that learning could become more interactive and personalized, much like vibe coding. He said, "Imagine if learning worked the same way, where students weren't just consumers of information but creators, shaping their education in real-time with AI as their guide."

Willem Delbare, founder and CTO of Aikido

Willem Delbare, from security company Aikido, expressed concerns about the security implications of vibe coding. He told ZDNET, "Vibe coding makes software development more accessible, but it also creates a perfect storm of security risks that even experienced developers aren't equipped to handle. SQL injections, path traversal, hardcoded secrets. Many developers consider security a blind spot, so imagine the risks when going from a simple landing page build to a full-fledged product handling user data."

He warned, "It is incredibly easy for AI to write vulnerable code, and vibe coders often don't know what they don't know. When you're collecting user data or handling sensitive information, you need more than just good vibes. Ideally, security isn't an afterthought that ruins the fun; you need to learn the risks and set up security checks so you can keep building without your users becoming collateral damage."

He also made a poignant observation about risk acceleration, saying, "Sure, Gen AI supercharges development, but it also supercharges risk. Two engineers can now churn out the same amount of insecure, unmaintainable code as 50 engineers."

Jamie Madden, founder of PetFun, a service that creates AI-enhanced pictures of pets

Jamie Madden echoed the security concerns, stating, "Vibe coding represents a fascinating shift in software development by demonstrating how AI tools can democratize coding. While it enables newcomers to build applications without traditional programming experience, it also highlights a crucial reality: without fundamental software development knowledge, security and performance suffer."

Zack Katz, president of no-code forms platform GravityKit

Zack Katz shared his positive experience with vibe coding, saying, "Vibe coding has dramatically accelerated our product development process. Ideas that sat in our backlog for years have come to life in just a week, thanks to AI. I can generate a working prototype of new functionality in a single day -- far faster than starting from scratch. From there, we refine, restructure, and test the code, cutting down development time significantly."

He provided an example, saying, "In a recent AI-powered session, I entered the requirements for a new product, switched back to my other work, and checked back a few minutes later. Within 20 minutes, I had a functional prototype ready for refinement and testing. AI has been a game-changer in our ability to quickly deliver features that customers want, and vibe coding has proven to be my go-to approach for rapidly building MVPs."

Leonardo Losoviz, developer of WordPress data management plugin Gato GraphQL

Leonardo Losoviz also sees vibe coding as a way to speed up development, stating, "I'm currently integrating my plugin Gato GraphQL to use vibe coding to create extensions, with the goal of creating all the extensions that my customers are demanding in a couple of weeks (normally it'd take a few months)."

John Campbell, director of content engineering at Security Journey

John Campbell offered a balanced view, saying, "Vibe coding is set to revolutionize software development by making developers more efficient and enabling individuals with limited technical expertise to expand their access to software tools."

However, he expressed concerns about the lack of system understanding, noting, "Just like a teenager experiencing the thrill of driving for the first time, that freedom would quickly turn to chaos without traffic laws, safety features, and guardrails."

He echoed Delbare's thoughts on risk acceleration, saying, "Vibe coding accelerates development and removes the need for deep technical knowledge of tools or techniques, but at the cost of a near-total lack of system understanding. Because vibe coding inherently disregards code details, it becomes almost impossible to assess the security risks in the software being developed."

Campbell believes the gap between vibe coding and production coding will narrow, but for now, "Vibe coding today excels at creating 'web toys' -- personal tools with a narrow focus and minimal security concerns -- without the stakes and risks of deploying them in a production environment."

Rhys Wynn, freelance WordPress developer trading under the name Dwi'n Rhys

Rhys Wynn was skeptical about the term, saying, "I think vibe coding is a phrase invented by people who think that AI-generated code is safe and secure, and want to position themselves in a market they maybe shouldn't be in. Every single vibe coding project I've seen has been insecure, not able to answer a use case, or just emulating better things that exist already."

He emphasized the importance of reviewing AI-generated code, stating, "AI can be useful for coding, but getting AI to write out large swathes of code means the code is tending towards being insecure or unoptimized. Ask your AI assistant to fix small problems with well-defined tasks, and it works well. Similarly, to fix problems in your code. Always review, as if you don't understand your code, who will?"

What Does It All Mean?

Some developers have experienced significant time savings using AI tools, and I've personally seen my productivity double with the help of ChatGPT. But is that vibe coding? For me, it's about using AI to handle the tedious parts of coding while ensuring every piece is thoroughly tested and understood.

Also: How to turn ChatGPT into your AI coding power tool - and double your output

Vibe coding, for an experienced developer, can feel like entering a flow state, allowing for a lot of work to be done efficiently. However, the consensus among the developers I spoke with is clear: vibe coding isn't suitable for beginners, and it can lead to serious security and reliability issues if not managed properly.

The concept of vibe coding itself isn't inherently problematic. However, it's crucial to stay vigilant, especially with marketing teams eager to exploit its popularity to suggest that anyone can effortlessly create software.

The challenges with low-code and no-code platforms remain the same: they work well for customizing pre-built scenarios but struggle when the required code doesn't fit the provided templates. In such cases, traditional programming skills become essential.

Also: If ChatGPT produces AI-generated code for your app, who does it really belong to?

Without those skills, you're likely to hit roadblocks or release products that could fail catastrophically.

What about you? Have you experimented with vibe coding, or are you hesitant to let AI take the lead in your development process? Do you believe AI tools truly lower the entry barrier for newcomers, or do they just facilitate the creation of insecure, unmaintainable software?

Are you more excited about the creative possibilities or worried about the risks? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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