3 types of coding in the AI era
LLMs have landed, and "coding" has split. Here’s the lowdown:
Vibe Coding
You've heard of it. Andrej Karpathy named it, Simon Willison explained it. Basically, you tell an AI what you want, it writes the code.
Probably used by:
- Beginners & no-coders.
- Anyone on quick or throwaway projects.
If a colleague reviews the code in a GitHub PR, is it still vibe-coded? I'd say no, it's moved beyond just a vibe at that point. What do you think?
Artisanal Coding
The old-school way: writing code by hand. Maybe with help from deterministic tools like LSPs, linters or generators. It's you meticulously building it.
Probably used by:
- Beginners learning the ropes.
- Coding purists and enthusiasts who love the craft.
- Projects needing high precision or security.
Neo Coding
The sweet spot. You code, but LLMs help with autocompletions and generation via chat or local agents.
You're still designing, reviewing, and debugging, but faster. Think a carpenter with a nail gun: still skilled, still in charge, just way more efficient. You're using AI as a power tool, not handing over the reins.
Would this be the new "coding"?