Development
Coding by instinct?
You can build an app by talking to AI. But who still understands the code?
Ndiaga Ndiaye2 min read
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Development
You can build an app by talking to AI. But who still understands the code?
At first, it feels like magic.
You describe an interface. AI writes the components. You ask for a form, then authentication, then a dashboard. Things appear on screen faster than you would have believed a few years ago.
Then comes the dangerous sentence: “It works, so it's done.” 😅
But software is not a screenshot. It still has to handle errors, impatient users, inconsistent data and updates nobody saw coming.
That's the tension at the heart of vibe coding: an extraordinary way to get started, and an equally good way to mistake a beginning for the finish line.
I've spent years building applications. I know how long an interface, an API, or yet another routine form can take.
So being able to describe something in plain language, get an initial version and refine it through conversation is genuinely exciting.
For mockups, experiments and small internal tools, this speed matters. You can test an idea instead of spending days typing familiar boilerplate.
But moving fast is not the same as knowing where you're going.
Imagine a booking app. In the demo, three people click around and everything works.
In production, two customers try to book the last spot at the same time. A connection drops halfway through. An administrator updates a price during checkout.
That's when you find out whether the system has proper business rules, transactions, error handling and tests.
AI can help build all of it. But it can't remove your responsibility to understand what should happen.
I try to keep a few habits, even when an assistant gives me a very convincing solution:
This isn't an argument against AI. These tools become more useful when we ask better questions.
Yes, if it helps you experiment, learn and ship a useful prototype.
No, if it means shipping a system nobody understands or takes responsibility for.
The distinction is simple: I can delegate some code generation, but not ownership of the product.
That's why being a developer remains interesting in the age of AI. I explore that further in The last developer?.
For now, I'll keep experimenting—with enthusiasm, and a hand on the wheel. 😉
