by Tomoko Yokoi Published May 12, 2026 in Brain Circuits • 3 min read
The concept of “vibe coding” holds that you no longer need to know complex computer programming languages to develop new apps or software products. Instead, you just tell an LLM what you want in plain English, and many organizations have already embraced “low-code” and “no-code” solutions that seek to democratize software development.
Early results from this trend are exciting. When business users start to see their ideas come to life, they’re encouraged to push harder, creating a virtuous cycle of experimentation and exploration. And when the whole business is keyed into the innovation process, it can develop proofs of concept quickly and at scale. This accelerates viable projects and fails other ideas fast – all with minimal upfront investment.
Business users with little experience of software testing may not spot these issues, while software engineers may find their time is taken up debugging.
But, before you get rid of all your software engineers, think carefully about the danger of creating applications that contain significant coding errors or that are of inferior quality. Business users with little experience of software testing may not spot these issues, while software engineers may find their time is taken up debugging the creations of users who didn’t really know what they were doing.
The risks of writing code without professional expertise include:
Here’s how to balance risk and reward:
The work of today’s software developers may soon be shared throughout the whole organization, with great benefits – but don’t dispense with the risk, security, and compliance expertise that is critical to an effective technology function.
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‘Vibe coding’ may offer insight into our AI future
Researcher
Tomoko Yokoi is a researcher and senior business executive with expertise in digital business transformations, women in tech, and digital innovation. With 20 years of experience in B2B and B2C industries, her insights are regularly published in outlets such as Forbes and MIT Sloan Management Review.
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