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Vibe coding

Also called vibe code, coding with AI, AI coding

Vibe coding is making software by describing what you want to an AI, trying what it builds, and asking for changes, without reading the code yourself.

Using AIEveryday

Products, laws and numbers here change fast. Checked October 2026.

In plain words

Normally, building an app means writing code line by line, or at least checking every line someone else wrote. Vibe coding skips that. You tell an AI "make me a chai timer with a big start button", it writes the code, you try the result, and you say "make the button orange" or "it crashes when I press twice". You judge by whether it works, not by how it's written.

The term was coined in February 2025 by AI researcher Andrej Karpathy, who described giving in to the vibes and forgetting "that the code even exists". It spread fast. Collins Dictionary named it its Word of the Year for 2025.

It is great for personal tools, prototypes and learning. It is risky for anything handling money, passwords or other people's data, because nobody has checked what the code really does.

Everyday example

Directing a cook without entering the kitchen

You tell a new cook: "Make poha like my grandmother's, a little lemon, no peanuts." You don't watch how they cook. You taste, then say "less salt", "more crunch". After a few rounds it's right. That is vibe coding: you guide by tasting the result, not by checking each step in the kitchen.

Where the example breaks: You can taste whether food is spoiled. With software, some problems, like a security hole or data being sent somewhere it shouldn't, are invisible from the outside.

Go deeper

How it actually works

Vibe coding usually runs on AI coding tools that work as agents: they can create files, run the app and fix errors on their own.

  1. Describe the goal

    You write a plain request, such as "A one-page app that times chai brewing. Big start button, alarm at 3 minutes, works on my phone." More detail up front means fewer rounds later (prompt engineering).

  2. The AI builds and runs it

    A language model writes the code, often many files, and with tool use runs it, reads error messages and fixes them.

  3. You test by using it

    You click around, notice what's wrong, and describe it: "the alarm doesn't ring on iPhone". You paste error messages back if there are any. The loop repeats.

  4. Where it stops being vibes

    Programmer Simon Willison draws a line: if you review, test and can explain the code, it is AI-assisted software development, not vibe coding. Before sharing an app widely, someone should check security, data handling and costs, such as exposed API keys.

Coined by
Andrej Karpathy, in a post on X on 2 February 2025: "fully give in to the vibes, embrace exponentials, and forget that the code even exists"
Word of the Year
Collins English Dictionary picked "vibe coding" as its 2025 Word of the Year
A caution
In May 2025, reports found that 170 of 1,645 web apps made with one popular vibe-coding tool had a flaw exposing personal data
Productivity is debated
A July 2025 METR trial found experienced open-source developers took 19% longer with AI tools, while believing they were faster. In February 2026 METR said developers were probably sped up more by then, on weak evidence

Is vibe coding a real way to build software?

One view

Yes, for many things

It lets non-programmers build working tools in hours, and lets professionals prototype ideas far faster. For personal and low-stakes apps, working is what matters.

The other view

Only as a starting point

Unread code can hide security holes, data leaks and costly bugs. Anything with users, money or private data needs someone to understand and review it.

Most likely: Both hold. Vibe coding works well for prototypes and personal tools, and the consensus is that anything public or sensitive still needs review by someone who can read the code.

Questions people ask

Who coined the term vibe coding?

Andrej Karpathy, an AI researcher who was a founding member of OpenAI and later Tesla's director of AI, in a post on X on 2 February 2025. He described fully giving in to the vibes and forgetting "that the code even exists".

Can you vibe code without knowing how to code?

Yes, for simple apps. You describe what you want, test the result and ask for fixes. You will still hit problems you need to describe clearly, and you should get help before publishing anything that stores personal data or takes payments.

Is vibe coding safe?

For a private tool on your own computer, mostly. For public apps it can be risky: studies in 2025 found common security flaws in apps built this way. Ask the AI to review security, keep secret keys out of the app, and have someone check before launch.

What is the difference between vibe coding and AI-assisted coding?

In vibe coding you don't read the code; you judge only by results. In AI-assisted coding, a developer uses AI to write code but reviews, tests and understands it. Same tools, different level of checking.

Further reading

Prepared by Mundhra Labs. Reviewed by Aditya Mundhra. Checked October 2026.