The Vibe Coding Hangover: What Happens When AI Writes 95% of Your Code? (sayna.ai)

In a rapidly evolving trend within Silicon Valley, the concept of "vibe coding" has emerged, popularized by Andrej Karpathy, which champions leveraging AI to write up to 95% of code. This method has gained traction among skilled engineers in startups, with Y Combinator reporting that a quarter of their Winter 2025 batch embraces this approach. While vibe coding can expedite prototype development and streamline simple projects, it poses significant risks when applied to production-level infrastructure, particularly due to the lack of deep understanding required for debugging, system architecture, and maintaining security. The implications for the AI/ML community are profound. As engineers find themselves grappling with "trust debt” and escalating technical debt due to inconsistencies in AI-generated code, there is a growing divide between “AI Native Builders,” who can churn out features rapidly but struggle with long-term maintainability, and experienced system architects who recognize the complexities behind AI output. Experts warn that while vibe coding can initially accelerate development, it underlines the necessity of human oversight to ensure quality and reliability in crucial systems handling sensitive data or requiring stringent performance standards. The future of software development may lie in a hybrid approach that combines the efficiency of AI with informed human engineering, thereby mitigating the impending technical hangover that an unchecked reliance on AI could cause.