The world of software engineering is evolving fast. AI-powered tools are revolutionizing how code is written, and more people are jumping into tech than ever before. Sounds exciting, right? Well... there’s a hidden shift happening, and if you're a newcomer in the industry, you really need to pay attention.
📈 The Developer Boom and the Experience Decline
Every five years, the number of software developers doubles. That means in the next cycle, we’re going to see more brand-new devs entering the field than experienced ones already in it. Historically, this wasn’t a problem because junior devs learned from seasoned engineers over time. But this time? Things are different.
AI-assisted coding has changed the game. With tools like GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT, it’s easier than ever to write code without truly understanding it. This means a massive wave of developers will enter the industry without a strong grasp of core programming concepts. We’re entering an era where experience levels may actually decline—a first in software engineering history. 😨
🤖 Meet the "Vibe Coder"
A vibe coder is someone who:
✅ Writes code mainly through AI-generated suggestions
✅ Doesn’t deeply understand how or why their code works
✅ Moves fast but struggles with debugging, optimization, and security
Instead of learning foundational programming skills, vibe coders rely on AI to bridge the gaps. They input a vague prompt, get an AI-generated solution, and ship it without questioning its efficiency, maintainability, or security.
And guess what? They’re everywhere. The AI coding revolution has lowered the barrier to entry, allowing people to build apps, websites, and software without mastering the craft.
But is that a problem? Absolutely. And here’s why. 👇
🔥 The Demand for Real Engineers is Growing
The rise of AI-assisted development means companies will soon be flooded with vibe coders. But as software systems become more complex, businesses will still need engineers who:
✅ Can debug beyond AI’s limitations
✅ Understand how things work under the hood
✅ Write scalable, efficient, and secure code
The best developers will always be those who know the fundamentals—algorithms, data structures, system design, and low-level programming concepts. AI can speed up your work, but it can't replace deep problem-solving skills. And when things break (because they will), only real engineers will know how to fix them. 🔧
⚡ AI is a Tool, Not a Crutch
Let’s be clear—AI is an amazing tool. It can supercharge productivity, automate repetitive tasks, and help you explore new ideas. But it’s not a replacement for real expertise.
If you’re serious about building a long-term career in software development, here’s what you need to do:
✅ Master the basics—write code without AI sometimes ✍️
✅ Learn to debug problems without relying on automated fixes 🐞
✅ Get comfortable with system design and performance optimization ⚙️
AI should be used to enhance your skills, not replace them. The worst thing you can do is become fully dependent on AI before you’ve built a strong foundation. 🏗️
⚔️ The Future: Two Types of Developers
Over the next few years, we’ll see a growing divide in the industry:
🛠️ Vibe Coders – Can ship AI-generated code quickly but lack deep knowledge
🧠 Foundational Engineers – Truly understand software systems and solve complex problems
While companies may hire vibe coders due to sheer numbers, the real power will belong to those who have a strong technical foundation. If you put in the effort now to truly learn, you’ll be among the few who stand out—and trust me, that’s where the opportunities will be. 🚀
However, there's a bigger challenge ahead: companies will be forced to lower their peak expertise and experience levels due to the sheer volume of vibe coders in the market. As more AI-dependent developers flood the industry, businesses will naturally adjust to hiring more of them—not because they want to, but because they’ll have no other choice. Over time, the overall skill level in software engineering could take a significant hit, and companies seeking true expertise will find it harder and more expensive to recruit engineers with deep technical knowledge.
This creates an opportunity for those who do invest in their skills. If you focus on real engineering fundamentals now, you’ll become part of a smaller, highly sought-after group of developers who can bridge the knowledge gap and provide expertise where it’s needed most. 💡
🏆 How to Stand Out in an AI-Driven Industry
So, how do you ensure you’re not just another vibe coder lost in the sea of AI-assisted developers? Here are a few concrete steps to set yourself apart:
🔍 Understand the WHY – When AI generates code, take the time to dissect it. Why does it work? How does it compare to alternative solutions? What trade-offs does it introduce?
📝 Build Projects from Scratch – Don’t just copy-paste AI suggestions. Work on real-world projects where you have to make architectural decisions, optimize performance, and debug issues manually.
📖 Study Classic CS Topics – Algorithms, data structures, system design, and software architecture will always be valuable. Even as AI improves, these skills will keep you in demand.
👨🏫 Mentor and Teach – Teaching others is one of the best ways to deepen your understanding. If you can explain a complex concept simply, you truly know it.
🚀 Be an AI-Powered Engineer, Not an AI-Dependent One – Use AI to accelerate your learning and efficiency, but never let it replace your ability to solve problems independently.
🏁 Final Thoughts
If you’re a new developer, this is your moment to stand out. While others rely on AI shortcuts, take the time to build real skills. Master the fundamentals, think critically, and use AI wisely.
In an industry flooded with vibe coders, be the developer who truly knows their craft. The future belongs to those who do. 🔥
💬 What are your thoughts? Have you seen "vibe coders" in action? Drop a comment below! 👇
Top comments (52)
I'm not looking forward to a future where we have to fix all the AI mess created because companies thought they don't need experienced people anymore...
I am. It's going to be a hiring frenzy.
AI is expontentially improving.
Whatever you think it is, it is gonna be better, not worse.
So, you can wait.. I wouldn't recommend it.
I tend to disagree. We are already seeing diminishing results. It does not look very 'exponential' to me, but rather the typical s-slope. Sure, bet on AI. I'll bet on my skills.
agreed with you @syeo66
@syeo66 Well, for us, who were working with sofware for more than 20 years, we don't need to bet on our skills, we already did.
Now, what it is not being exponential, is the developers knowledge. But AI is growing.
It’s really scary just thinking about that!!!
NAILED IT.
I just primarily think that this whole vibe coding concept is a marketing strategy because I personally don't trust AI with the code it generates for me. It still hallucinates a lot.
Just as you wrote.
Real engineers will soon be in big demand companies begin to realise that AI generated code has scalability and security issues
Real engineers are being hired to work for AI development. Not for fixing some kids stuff. haha
That's a valid point, but it's not necessary for every single individual within the category of "Real Engineer" to go for AI development. But one thing is always be true, wherever they work, they'll be the savior and the superior till AI gets in a state of ruling the human race! 🤣
yes, the real are the saviors
While I agree with the core message, there's also a potential for AI to democratize development for those who might not have had traditional CS education. The key is responsible and continuous learning.
Development is already democratized. Anyone can get an education online through free resources.
Yes, that's correct @ac89 , I myself a self learner, though I've also pursuing degree on CSE. Most of the time, or even before getting into university I started learning by myself with the help of online free resources, but the net maturity of learning is, weather we self learn or getting a degree on any decipline, we have to ensure learning the core, considering it a mandatory thing to adopt within own self.
Absolutely! AI is a powerful tool that opens doors for many who may not have had access to traditional CS education. The key, as you said, is responsible and continuous learning. AI can accelerate growth, but relying on it without building a strong foundation can be risky. The best developers will be those who use AI to enhance their skills, not replace the learning process. Appreciate your insight!
I think it always "vibe coders" will always from come time to time with different appearance.
last time, people who only can code with third party library, plugin. Only mastering the framework but not the language itself.
Currently its time for people who only code with AI help.
It's our job to make sure we understand what is valuable if we doing by ourself or by AI.
Totally! "Vibe coders" keep changing. First it was relying on frameworks, now it’s AI help. Our job is to know what’s valuable—doing it ourselves or with AI.
is something I will file under the "karma" category.
I know this is a hot take in the modern world, but if you have an idea and need AI to build it for you then really you have nothing and you deserve nothing for it. I'm fine with people building them for the benefit of humanity or as a showcase, but selling something you had AI plagiarise for you is not something anyone is entitled to.
totally agree
oscar goes to @leojr94_
RIP!!!
🤣
I have nothing against using AI tools. The problem lies in blindly trusting code that is produced by such tools.
I have the same issue with No-Code tools, in general. I remember in the early 2000s, using Dreamweaver to build websites. The markup was utter garbage! I prefer having the control to keep my markup semantic, add minimal JavaScript, and sprinkle in CSS to make my interface pretty.
Yes, exactly! Anything generated by AI (or any kind of automation) is just garbage!!!
surely is 😬😂
Nice article, I don't have any numbers at hand, but I can guess quite a bit of these "vibe" coders are actually SaaS founders, and this is not necessarily a bad thing.
When you just starting a business, if you cannot code, it's really expensive to hire a dev team and this will ultimately shelve some great ideas.
So if these founders can "vibe" code their way through an MVP, eventually a percentage of them will succeed and this will grow the startup base, hence specialists will be needed later on to come in and "cleanup" or scale that product. Also, being able to use AI to save weeks or even months of work could mean they are proffitable much sooner.
As for junior developers, common sense should prevail. If you rely solely on AI to write code for you, without understanding the core concepts and want to be a professional in the industry, you may get away for entry-level jobs but there's going to come a time in your career when you need to apply your mind and do something complex, then you're in trouble!
Well, getting profitable on garbage-code product isn't something I can get behind.
Yes, creating some prototype or tool for your own usage can be done with LLMs (if you don't mind all the ethical and ecological questions), so you can validate your idea with prototype before spending money on real dev. But maybe you can create prototype in Figma or other tools as easily and more reliably. Or pay some freelancer a little money to do that for you.
But anything where people depend on you? Where they give you their (personal) data for you to manage? If you just give them this black box some LLM generated, you are just irresponsible, and you are making money unethically IMO.
Also, there are great OSS frameworks, libraries and whatnot which make creating your v1 much easier, and you most likely don't need team of devs. Having one technically literate person on your team when you want to start a technical bussiness seems pretty reasonable.
agreed with your presented thought
Thanks for the great points! I agree, SaaS founders using "vibe coding" for an MVP is smart, especially when resources are tight. AI can help speed up development and boost profits. But for junior devs, understanding core concepts is key, AI can’t replace the need for real skills when things get complex!
In the end, we will need a strong fundamental first to use AI to code for us.
If we can represent our fundamental skill with number, let say our fundamental skill is 1, then AI can make it 10x works faster (1 x 10). But, if our fundamental skill is 0, even with 10x AI helps, it will still make 0 works.
Anyway, i also just published an listicle about AI tools that we can use for vibe coding. Have a look if you dont mind :D, thanks.
dev.to/syakirurahman/top-10-ai-fig...
That's the key, understanding the fundamentals allows someone to craft the best prompt, and from the best prompt, you can achieve the most effective results.
Cant wait for people to figure out that not all Vibe devs should have been hired and that's when our knowledge comes in and I'll charge triple the amount I usually would ;)
Every school costs money ;)
;)
Well Written Article. Totally agree with you that Vibe Coders are everywhere. We aimed for hiring a mid or junior for our Team. We see a good code that some parts are working and some parts are not working, which is completely fine, but sometimes the person has no idea why these parts of the software are working. I also understand that with the AI, it is much harder to feel confident and be good at something. I guess at least for the first year of career they should not use AI, they should just chat with AI and not copy paste any code to their IDE.
and the best suggestions will be not using AI, while doing any kind of learning!
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