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Vibe Coding: How AI is Changing Software Development

Vibe Coding: How AI is Changing Software Development

by Timothy Coleman - 09/Apr/2025

The software development industry is in the midst of a fundamental transformation, driven by what many now call "vibe coding" - a methodology empowered by AI that shifts the developer’s role from detailed code writing to high-level design and instruction.

What is Vibe Coding?

Traditionally, coding involved writing, testing, and continually refining code as software evolved. However, with vibe coding, developers express high-level ideas, letting AI tools like GitHub Copilot and Cursor handle implementation details.

Instead of manually coding every element, developers can now focus more on architectural strategy, user experience, and business logic.

Potential Pitfalls and Challenges

However, this shift raises significant concerns:

  • Skill Development: New developers might skip foundational skills essential for writing sustainable, maintainable code.
  • Quality Concerns: Rapid development could lead to overlooked testing, poor modularisation, and lower code quality.

Experienced coders often think deeply about software design principles - such as MVC (Model View Controller) - to maintain modular, reusable, and dry code (Don't Repeat Yourself). There’s a risk that reliance on AI-generated solutions could diminish the deeper understanding of these essential principles.

Implications for Team Dynamics

One of the biggest uncertainties is how vibe coding will reshape collaboration and mentorship. Organisations might favour mid-level developers proficient in AI tools over juniors, risking a shortage of mentorship and training opportunities.

Without juniors to mentor, senior developers also lose opportunities to deepen their expertise (I personally learn a lot when I have to think through 'the basics'). This disruption might lead to skill gaps that even advanced AI can't easily fill.

The Road to Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)

Looking ahead, developments in Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) or sophisticated AI agents could further elevate abstraction levels, enabling developers (or even non-technical stakeholders) to request entire applications by simply describing their functionality.

While powerful, such systems raise questions about software quality, maintainability, and long-term sustainability.

Organisational Responsibility and Future Prospects

Organisations must balance rapid AI integration with proactive strategies for developer education, mentoring, and skill-building. Public entities like healthcare organisations could greatly benefit from automating repetitive tasks, but failure to adapt could widen disparities between sectors.

Conclusion

Vibe coding represents a profound shift, promising faster innovation yet demanding conscious adoption strategies. To thrive in an AI-powered future, we must thoughtfully balance automation with sustainable software practices.

Let's embrace this change responsibly, maintaining optimism while navigating the AI-driven landscape.