There’s a new trend in the coding world, and surprise surprise it involves AI. Vibe coding is a form of software development, where developers essentially use AI tools such as ChatGPT (by OpenAI) to write code. Although this is an exciting new trend currently getting a lot of attention, there are certain things to be aware of that we are going to discuss in this blog post, we hope it allows you to try out new things but just know the potential pitfalls of this new coding method. As well as the environmental effects of using AI tools to code.
Pros of AI Coding
Testing Ideas & Concepts
AI is a valuable tool for prototyping and exploring new ideas. Developers can rapidly test concepts, compare approaches, and evaluate pros and cons without committing to full implementation. This flexibility supports faster innovation and informed decision-making in the early stages of development.
Speeding up development time
While AI may struggle with generating complex or highly specific code, it excels at producing boilerplate and handling basic, repetitive tasks. This can significantly reduce development time, allowing developers to focus on the more critical and creative aspects of a project.
Finding Documentation
Developers often spend a considerable amount of time digging through lengthy documentation or forums when working with unfamiliar libraries or frameworks. AI coding can streamline this process by quickly surfacing relevant examples and usage patterns. However, it’s important to remain cautious— these AI tools might sometimes reference outdated or incorrect information, which could lead to misuse or implementation errors.
Cons of AI Coding
Not Understanding the codebase
AI can be a valuable tool when learning a new skill, offering explanations of code snippets and helping you understand different parts of a project. However, over-reliance on AI generated code can result in a lack of understanding of your own codebase. If something breaks in the future or if new features need to be added, not fully understanding how your code works can make debugging and development significantly harder. In such cases, AI may not always provide the right solution to solve these issues.
Unreadable, messy & non reusable code
While using AI to generate code can provide you with quick solutions, it often prioritises functionality over readability and structure. This can lead to longer development times when working in a team or if you come back to your code in a few months, you’ll find the code is unreadable or use case specific – often leading you to rewrite the code or rely on AI tools to help you even further.
AI Generated code can lead to insecurities
Whilst AI tools can help write basic functionality, it doesn’t always use the best industry practices. This can lead to backdoors and insecurities in your codebase and potentially allow hackers in, giving them the freedom to do what they want. These oversights can lead to vulnerabilities like SQL injection and cross-site scripting. Developers should always check, test and secure the ai generated code.
Ultimately using AI to code should not replace traditional coding, but it can be a tool to help already professional coders to speed up their workflow and test ideas. We as a professional web design agency don’t use vibe coding and we would suggest to anyone who codes, to use it with caution and not to solely rely on it to build websites, especially if it’s for client based work!