Happily Vibe-Coding Ourselves Into Extinction

Selling snake oil

Just saw a CNBC video showing how Deirdre Bosa vibe-coded a “fully functional” app from a single prompt.

At first glance, it looks impressive.

But. But!

We haven’t seen the code. We don’t know whether the AI generated real, working logic or just stitched together a convincing mock. Did it pull live data, or did it populate the UI with made-up numbers?

See, that’s the real issue. Deirdre herself admitted she has never written a single line of code. Yet the finished demo is presented as proof that AI can now do the work of real software engineers.

I’m not a Luddite

I’m not a naysayer. I know how far AI coding tools have come. I use Claude Code daily, and I’ve even created courses about it. In the hands of someone who understands software development, these tools are incredibly powerful.

The real danger is how non-technical people and tech CEOs oversell what’s actually happening. AI is not a replacement for human expertise. It’s a smart tool that can 10x, 50x, or 100x your output, depending on your level of expertise (and plan, of course 😎).

LLMs won’t replace real engineers.

Nail guns didn’t replace carpenters either. They just made good carpenters faster.

There’s clearly a push to use AI for everything. But reality always wins. Hopefully soon enough to prevent an irreversible trend that would make Idiocracy look like a documentary.

I don’t want my banking app vibe-coded by an understaffed tech company. I don’t want the cooling system of a nuclear reactor be controlled by AI-hallucinated code. And I definitely don’t want politicians taking advice from ChatGPT.

A funny thought experiment

I wonder what my colleagues would have said if, a few years ago, I’d told them that vibe-coded apps built with zero technical understanding, and lacking even the most basic security, performance, and quality checks, would be a thing in 2026.

And that software engineers would be let go en masse because of a tool that’s still in beta.

That probably would’ve ended my career on the spot. Yet, here we are.

Let the kids play, but don’t let them use the oven

Let people vibe-code their PoCs, silly little ChatGPT wrappers, and scammy SaaS products. But don’t let vibe coding infiltrate professional software development.

If that happens, drop the “professional” part and brace for impact.

Here’s the CNBC YouTube video featuring the so-called vibe-coded apps: https://youtu.be/eE5CV62FWdE?si=EaUUg7eMWU9149iv

Share your thoughts in the comments.