While I have nothing against “vibe coding” per se, I think it harms software-making in the way too many casual relationships do to the ability to make long-term bonds. In fact, it’s not about coding at all. It’s about building “care” for the product.
If I replace MVP with ONS in the equation, I notice eerie similarities. You build MVPs faster with AI, as you may get sex faster with a dating app, for example. You may even feel more accomplished, like non-programmers do when they “build things without having a clue”.
However, the easier you get ONS, the harder it becomes to commit to an intimate relationship. Similarly, the faster you build MVPs, the harder it gets to create software that lasts, because humans tend to care less for things they didn’t put real effort into.
I’m curious to see how many AI-gen software will survive the first year. LLMs produce write-only code by default, and it takes a decent amount of care to lead them in the right direction towards a well-designed product. Only someone who cares will step in and “take care of that”.
So, I disagree with the focus on bad code quality, that one is a much easier problem to solve. I’m rather worried about how indulging in AI may affect our ability to care about the things we create.