Vibe coding is an AI supported software development style popularized by Andrej Karpathy in early 2025. It describes a fast, improvisational, collaborative approach to creating software where the developer and a large language model (LLM) tuned for coding is acting rather like pair programmers in a conversational loop. Unlike traditional AI-assisted coding or Prompt engineering, vibe coding emphasizes staying in a creative flow: the human developer avoids micromanaging the code, accepts AI-suggested completions liberally, and focuses more on iterative experimentation than code correctness or structure.
Karpathy described it as “fully giving in to the vibes, embracing exponentials, and forgetting that the code even exists.” He used the method to build prototypes like MenuGen, letting LLMs generate all code, while he provided goals, examples, and feedback via natural language instructions. The programmer shifts from manual coding to guiding, testing, and giving feedback about the AI-generated source code.
Advocates of vibe coding say that it allows even amateur programmers to produce software without the extensive training and skills required for software engineering. Critics point out a lack of accountability and increased risk of introducing security vulnerabilities in the resulting software. The term was introduced by Andrej Karpathy in February 2025 and listed in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary the following month as a "slang & trending" term.