Responsible Tech: Vibe Coding and what's next
Details
Vibe Coding: What It Is, How It’s Changing Software, and What Comes Next
AI is changing how software is written—but more importantly, it’s changing how human intent is translated into systems.
“Vibe coding” has emerged as shorthand for AI-assisted, intuition-driven development: prompting instead of programming, steering instead of specifying. While often framed as a productivity breakthrough, vibe coding raises deeper questions about judgment, accountability, and where human responsibility begins and ends.
In this session, we will move past tool demos and hype to examine vibe coding as a sociotechnical shift:
- What actually changes when intent is expressed through prompts instead of code?
- How does this affect developer skill, system understanding, and ownership?
- Where should boundaries exist—even if automation is possible?
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Featured Perspective
We will ground the conversation with insights inspired by the work of Gene Kim and Steve Yegge, whose writing on modern software systems and AI-assisted development highlights the importance of human judgment in complex, high-stakes environments.
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Format
This is a facilitated practitioner discussion, not a lecture.
- Brief framing on vibe coding and intent
- Small-group discussions guided by prompts
- Group synthesis focused on tradeoffs, not answers
Engineers, product leaders, data professionals, and anyone building or governing AI-enabled systems are welcome.
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Optional Pre-Reads
These are provided for shared grounding—not required:
- Gene Kim and Steve Yegge on AI-augmented software development and systems thinking Link
- Andrej Karpathy’s original commentary introducing “vibe coding” Link
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About Responsible Tech
Responsible Tech is an ACM-sponsored forum for practitioners examining how AI systems are designed, deployed, and governed in real-world contexts—where trust, safety, and accountability matter.
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What to Expect
You will leave with:
- A clearer understanding of what vibe coding actually changes
- Language to discuss intent, boundaries, and responsibility with your teams
- Questions worth carrying into your own work
This event is virtual and held from 12 noon to 1 pm in US Central Standard Time (CST).
Here is the rhythm and agenda:
- Introduction (10 mins)
- Case Study/Prompt/Discussion (30 mins)
- Synthesis (10 mins) - what we learned
- Close (5 mins)
