Writing code without knowing how to program? Now you can. But here’s the catch: if you don’t know how to code, how do you really understand what the machine is doing?
The idea that the most powerful language is English—not code—has become a reality. Today, you simply write in natural language and AI automatically generates software. Amazing, right? Well, it depends. Because if you don’t understand what’s behind it, you’re blind to what the system is creating for you.
Kevin Roose, a journalist at The New York Times, tested this magic: he asked the AI to build an app that analyzes the contents of his fridge and suggests lunch for his son. And he got it—without writing a single line of code. But AI expert Gary Marcus shot down the hype: the app wasn’t anything new, and more importantly, Roose had no idea how it really worked.
This is the problem with vibe coding—the new way of programming based on intuition rather than logic. You copy and paste, request modifications, and get results. But who can guarantee they’re the right results? If the AI generates faulty code or security vulnerabilities, how are you supposed to notice?
Will programmers disappear? No, but their role will change. AI doesn’t replace them—it transforms them. Developer and advocate Simon Willison gets it: use AI as an assistant, but with the awareness to read and correct what’s generated. Because in the end, the real issue isn’t whether the machine can write code; it’s whether you truly understand what it’s writing for you.
