AI programming is here and "Vibe Coding" is now a thing. For the past 2 months I have engaged in vibecoding some applications and I like it. But, as a tech bro, I still believe that vibecoding, while pretty advantageous, can lead to stunted programming skills. I know this is something that many would not like to hear (plus it conjures up the image of coping techbros).

You see, the basic trajectory of learning any skill on earth is through Trial-and-Error; not through "Flawless Execution". In fact, there is nothing like "Flawless Execution".

The irony of life is that the best things do come with a lot hard work. Let's digress a bit here:

1. Relationships aren't sustained by romance alone. A working relationship is largely sustained by the boring "hard work" that works in the shadows.
2. Every virtue you know of is maintained by a lot of "hard work".

The human mind is a very interesting thing. On one hand it yearns for the best of something/everything yet on the other it seeks to diminish or escape from the work that is needed to achieve that "best".

When it comes to AI and "vibecoding", the illusion of "flawless (programming) execution" is gaining currency. The idea that a piece of software can be "vibecoded" in a single shot from idea to production with little to no hiccups. Which is an anathema if you ask me. The best software isn't the one with the least bugs; it is one where its users have accepted and adapted to its flaws, warts and all and thrive within its limitations.

Thus, the idea that with "vibecoding" that we can skip past the Trial-and-Error stage of programming and software development is wrong. It should be shunned. Let's appreciate the difficulties of programming, the bugs, panics and fatal errors. Let's also be willing to appreciate that good software is a function of time. And that, flawless execution does not exist.