The hype version
You have probably seen the term thrown around — coding by vibes, AI-assisted whatever, "developers will be obsolete." None of it ships software.
The working definition
Vibe coding is what happens when an experienced developer uses modern AI tools (LLMs, refactor agents, runtime test runners) to compress a normal two-week build into days, while still owning every decision that lands in production.
What it changes
- Scope conversations shorten. We can prototype the disagreement in 30 minutes instead of arguing about it for a week.
- Boilerplate is gone. The AI writes the plumbing; the developer writes the architecture and the part that has to be right.
- Reviews compress. Tests are written in the same breath as the feature.
What it does not change
The taste, the judgement, and the responsibility. Those still sit with a human.