AI tools like ChatGPT, Cursor, and Replit can generate code just from a written prompt. Type in your idea, explain what you want, and boom – you’ve got something that looks like a working app. It’s fast. It’s cheap. And it’s got a big massive hype train behind it.
But that’s just the surface. Underneath? Things get a bit messier.
What Is ‘Vibe Coding’? And Why Are People So Obsessed With It?
The term came from Andrej Karpathy – a well-known AI researcher who helped popularise the idea earlier this year. He tweeted about using AI to build throwaway projects without looking at a single line of code.
Thing is, it didn’t stay a joke.
Now, some startups are using AI to write 95% of their code. That’s fine for prototypes and MVPs. But when it comes to real apps? It gets messy.
Here’s how vibe coding works:
- You type a description of what you want
- The AI generates the code
- You tweak the prompt until it works
Simple? Sure. But it’s like building with Lego when what you need is scaffolding and steel beams.
Where AI Can Actually Help
I’ll give it credit – AI is good at a few things:
- Knocking up quick prototypes
- Scaffolding layouts
- Generating UI components
- Repeating boring stuff like boilerplate forms
If you’re an experienced dev, it can save you time. It’s like pair programming with a slightly unpredictable intern. But you’ve still got to:
- Check every line
- Understand what’s happening
- Know how to fix it when it breaks
That’s the bit no one mentions on LinkedIn.
Where It Falls Apart (And Fast)
Here’s the problem: AI doesn’t understand your business, your users, or your goals. It just predicts what the next bit of code might look like.
Things start to unravel when:
- The app gets more complex
- You need consistent architecture
- Security actually matters
- You’ve got users relying on it
You might’ve seen this in the news – an indie founder built a SaaS using 100% AI. Looked great. Until the whole thing broke. People were bypassing payments, random stuff started appearing in the database, API usage went through the roof. He couldn’t debug it. Couldn’t fix it. Had to shut it all down.
That’s the risk of letting AI take the lead. It works until it doesn’t. And then nobody knows why.
Why You Still Need a Human
AI can write code. But it can’t:
- Design a proper user journey
- Plan how your data flows
- Write maintainable architecture
- Spot security gaps before they cost you
- Make smart decisions when stuff changes
And it definitely can’t tell you if your app’s even a good idea.
That’s what we do at TH3.
We use AI when it makes sense – to move faster, not to cut corners. The rest? That’s us. Real developers, planning, building and testing real apps that actually work.
Build It Right, Not Just Fast
At TH3, we don’t reinvent the wheel. But we don’t hand the keys over to a robot either.
We design, develop and test apps that make sense for your business – not just your to-do list.
Because flashy features don’t matter if your users can’t use them. And speed means nothing if the whole thing breaks a month later.
Got an app idea? Let’s build it properly.
Get in touch and let’s get things moving.
Sources
- Belle Lin (2025). ‘Vibe Coding’ Has Arrived for Businesses. The Wall Street Journal. Available at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/vibe-coding-has-arrived-for-businesses-5528e942
- Benj Edwards (2025). Will the future of software development run on vibes? Ars Technica. Available at: https://arstechnica.com/ai/2025/03/is-vibe-coding-with-ai-gnarly-or-reckless-maybe-some-of-both/
- Daniel Bentes (2025). The Reality of “Vibe Coding”. LinkedIn. Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/reality-vibe-coding-daniel-bentes-pbdic/
- The Economist (2025). AI valuations are verging on the unhinged. The Economist. Available at: https://www.economist.com/business/2025/06/25/ai-valuations-are-verging-on-the-unhinged
- Ivan Mehta (2025). A quarter of startups in YC’s current cohort have codebases that are almost entirely AI-generated. TechCrunch. Available at: https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/06/a-quarter-of-startups-in-ycs-current-cohort-have-codebases-that-are-almost-entirely-ai-generated/
- John Naughton (2025). Now you don’t even need code to be a programmer. But you do still need expertise. The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/mar/16/ai-software-coding-programmer-expertise-jobs-threat
- Kaustubh Saini (2025). How AI Vibe Coding Is Destroying Junior Developers’ Careers. Final Round AI. Available at: https://www.finalroundai.com/blog/ai-vibe-coding-destroying-junior-developers-careers?ref=dailydev
- Mark Sullivan (2025). The vibe coding hangover is upon us. Fast Company. Available at: https://www.fastcompany.com/91398622/the-vibe-coding-hangover-is-upon-us
- Michael Spencer, The Pycoach, and Frank Andrade (2025). What is Vibe Coding? AI Supremacy. Available at: https://www.ai-supremacy.com/p/what-is-vibe-coding-2025
- Shalini Harkar (2025). What is vibe coding? IBM. Available at: https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/vibe-coding