Founders’ Takes is a new series with experienced findings of technical managers who change industries with artificial intelligence. In this issue, Steven Kleinveld, founder of Applied Ai Lab Skylark, argues that the vibe coding does not replace the developers – she will upgrade them.
AI has recently been talking that AI will replace developers. With the rise of tools with which you can get in the way of building apps, people ask themselves: “Are developers still needed at all?” The short answer: yes – more than ever.
The hype about no-code and “vibe coding” makes it look as if everyone can build a solid MVP overnight. And tools such as lovable, bolts and canva code are certainly great to quickly test ideas. But as soon as things become more complex, these tools hit a blanket …
You still need someone who knows how things actually work -backend logic, data flows, design systems and UX decisions. The stuff that a product does well not only functional. Here developers come into play – and not just any developers, but those who know how to work with Ai, don’t fear it.
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This is not the end of the developers. It is a shift in how they work. It is well documented that LLMs like Claude from Anthropic, Google’s Gemini and Openais Chatgpt have drastically improved. As a result, the quality of the AI tools has flown up, so that developers with superhuman efficiency can work and become more valuable. At this moment in technology, it’s not about replacing developers. It’s about how you develop.
AI will not replace developers. But developers who use AI will replace those who do not do this
Just to be clear, AI is amazing in taking care of the repetitive things – generate code -nippets, filling in boiler plates and even getting a lead on a frontend. However, this does not mean that it can create a reliable, safe and scalable product from scratch.
As CEO of Skylark, an applied AI laboratory, I am aware of how quickly the field will develop. However, it will still take years for AI models to master all three elements – reliability, security and scalability – without people in the loop.
Developers who get AI are charged
The real winners in this AI wave? Developers who know how to work with it.
If you are a backend developer, AI can help you with front-end tasks where you are less confident. If you are in full stack, you can use it to speed up your workflow and concentrate on the tricky parts that you like the most. It is like you have a very fast assistant – but you still have to be the one who directs the ship.
The key is to know what you are good, what you don’t and where AI can fill the gaps. That makes a developer “Ai-Savvy”. And in my opinion this becomes one of the most valuable skills out there.
Vibe coding is fun, but it won’t need it all the way
We have all seen the trend to initiate a AI, “just to build it” and to hope that it works. It’s quick, it is playful and sometimes it is surprisingly good. But it can also lead to what I call the “KI drift”: If your product slowly refers to your original idea because the AI adds unnecessary functions or misinterprets what you want.
Experienced developers make the difference here. You know when something is going on. You know when you have to stop the AI and repair things. You know how to recognize mistakes or security problems that the AI missed. Non-technical people miss these signs often-and here things can break quickly.
So no, AI does not replace developers. There are the best additional equipment.
Of course, not every founder will be technical. But even non-tech founders have to understand how AI works and what is even more important, what limits are. Knowing how to demand a AI is one thing. Knowing when the issue is wrong is a completely different ability.
Conclusion: AI is a tool, no replacement
Developers who learn to work with AI are only more valuable. They become faster, more intelligent and with fewer people, but they will still push the process ahead.
So if you are a developer who wonders whether AI comes for your job, I would say: don’t worry. Simply familiarize yourself with the tools, stay your skills and find out how AI can improve you.
This is not the end of the street – it is a new chapter. And developers are still the main characters.
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