Looks Good, Runs Fine, Breaks Later

AI has changed the way we write software. With copilots and code generators at our fingertips, the speed of producing code has skyrocketed. But so has a subtle, dangerous trend called “Vibe Coding.”

Vibe coding is when teams rely on AI-generated code that feels right, looks neat, and even runs fine, but lacks the depth of security, compliance, and architectural alignment that enterprises depend on.

It’s fast, it’s seductive, and if not handled carefully, it’s a recipe for long-term pain.

Developers Love Writing, Not Reading

If you’ve worked with developers, you know this to be true. Most of us love writing code. We hate reading and deciphering it. We thrive when building new things, not when tracing someone else’s thought process.

AI changes this dynamic in a fundamental way. Instead of writing, developers now spend more of their time:

• Validating machine-generated outputs

• Reading long stretches of code they didn’t personally author

• Reconciling what the AI produced with existing architecture and practices

This is mentally exhausting. Because as humans, we’re naturally better at reviewing what we generate. AI-generated code lacks that internal context. The result? Zoning out, missed issues, and fatigue.

And it’s not just about attention spans. Vibe-coded codebases tend to be massive in volume. No one can realistically read thousands of lines dropped in by an AI in one sitting. Teams often only realize after days of effort that the generated codebase is poorly aligned, inconsistent, or in the worst case, fundamentally unusable.

When “Good Code” Isn’t Secure

The real trap of vibe code is that it can look solid. AI-generated code often looks solid. It compiles, it runs, and it appears to follow best practices. But enterprises need more than code that runs. They need code that is:

• Secure against modern threats

• Compliant with internal and external regulations

• Consistent across systems, so that productivity scales instead of erodes

AI doesn’t guarantee any of that.

Think of enterprise software as layers of trust carefully built over time. Every line of code is written within a framework of compliance, compatibility, and standards. When vibe coding skips these rules, it introduces subtle cracks. One skipped compliance check, one deviation in architecture, and suddenly productivity at scale begins to suffer. (or worse, it might introduce a hole that compromises the entire system)

Enterprises don’t just build functioning code, they build on standards, compliance, and long-term reliability. AI doesn’t guarantee those.

Loss of consistency isn’t a stylistic issue, it’s a business productivity issue.

Don’t Ship the Vibe Code (At Least, Not Often)

Shipping vibe code into production is like running your company on duct tape. It might hold for now, but sooner or later, it breaks.

If teams must ship AI-generated code, then enterprise discipline applies:

• Mandatory code reviews by senior engineers who understand the architectural and compliance context

• Rigorous testing including unit, integration, and security

• Compliance validation to ensure architectural consistency

Otherwise, the new code risks becoming “absolute”, completely disconnected from the standards and compatibility rules of the existing codebase.

For Product Managers: When Vibe Coding Makes Sense

Vibe coding isn’t evil, it’s just misplaced when used for production. The one place it shines? Prototyping.

For product managers, it can be a game-changer:

• Skip spec-writing when testing ideas

• Prototype quickly with AI and vibe code

• Validate whether the feature even deserves serious engineering

Too often, specs are written, reviewed, and polished, only for everyone to realize the feature is a bad fit or worsens the UX. With vibe coding, PMs can show stakeholders how it will look and feel without months of wasted cycles.

And in urgent cases, this allows PMs to show, not tell, demonstrating how a feature might look or behave without bogging down engineering teams.

The Takeaway for Enterprises

• For developers: Don’t fall for the neatness of vibe code. Treat it as suspect until validated.

• For managers: Use it for speed, not structure.

• For enterprises: Protect consistency, compliance, and security at all costs.

Vibe coding is a powerful accelerant. But accelerants can either fuel innovation, or burn everything down.

So don’t ship the vibe code. Use it to explore and prototype, but build production systems the way enterprises always have: carefully, consistently, and with compliance.