Exec Summary

Exploring the Realities of AI-Enabled Development Tools in 2025

Introduction

The emergence of AI-powered coding tools has sparked a new era in software development, but not all AI-assisted programming is "vibe coding." In this post, I reflect on my experiences with tools like Warp, Copilot in VS Code, Cursor.io, and Perplexity.ai, and explore how these fit into the evolving definition of vibe coding. For further thoughts on coding intuition and flow, see my related post: Coding: It's More Than Just the Vibe.

TODO: Reflect on pros/cons of traditional coding vs. AI-assisted coding. Also how each human is different and one size does not fit all.

What Is "Vibe Coding"?

Vibe coding—a term coined by Andrej Karpathy in early 2025—refers to a distinct approach where the programmer describes a problem in natural language and lets an AI (usually a large language model) generate the software solution¹²³⁴. The key difference from traditional AI-assisted coding is the level of trust and detachment: in vibe coding, you often accept and run code without fully understanding or reviewing it. As Karpathy put it, "It's not really coding—I just see things, say things, run things, and copy-paste things, and it mostly works"¹⁵⁴.

This approach is conversational and hands-off: you prompt, the AI delivers, and you mostly move forward without deeply interrogating the result. While this can be "amusing" and productive for quick prototypes or hobby projects, critics highlight the risks—especially around security, accountability, and maintainability—when this method is used for anything beyond throwaway code¹²⁴.

My Experience with AI-Enabled Coding Tools

Warp: AI in the Terminal

[Placeholder: Personal experience with Warp]

Warp brings AI into the console, letting you describe what you want in plain English and generating shell commands in response. This can feel like vibe coding if you simply accept and run AI-generated commands, but I find myself reviewing suggestions—especially when dealing with system-level operations. Warp’s integration makes the terminal more accessible, but also raises the stakes for security and trust.

Copilot in VS Code

[Placeholder: Personal experience with Copilot]

Copilot offers real-time code suggestions as you type. In my workflow, Copilot acts more as a typing assistant than a vibe coding partner: I review, edit, and often reject its suggestions. The boundary between "AI-assisted" and "vibe coding" is clear here—if I understand and test the code, I'm not truly vibe coding¹²⁴.

Cursor.io

[Placeholder: Personal experience with Cursor.io]

My experience with Cursor.io (from mid-2024) was brief but interesting. The tool’s conversational interface nudges you toward a more "vibe coding" style—especially when you accept large, AI-generated changes with minimal review. However, I found myself wanting more control and transparency.

Perplexity.ai: Keeping AI at Arm’s Length

Most of my AI-assisted coding happens in the browser with Perplexity.ai, which enforces a healthy separation between my editor and the AI. This encourages me to review and understand code before integrating it—keeping me firmly out of true "vibe coding" territory.

Is It Still About the Vibe?

Vibe coding is less about flow or intuition and more about a hands-off, trust-the-AI approach—one that can be productive but also risky, especially when used for anything beyond quick experiments or personal projects¹²⁴. For professional or critical work, I find value in AI-assisted coding, but only when paired with careful review and understanding.

Tech Appendix: Sudo Security in AI-Enabled Terminals (Warp)

The Sudo "Grace Period" and AI Risks

On macOS, when you run a sudo command and enter your password, the system grants a grace period (default: 5 minutes) during which further sudo commands in that terminal session do not require re-authentication. This means that, during this window, any command—whether typed by you or suggested by an AI—can execute with elevated privileges without prompting you again.

How to Set the Sudo Timeout to Zero

To minimize risk, you can set the sudo timeout to zero, so every sudo command requires your password:

1. Open Terminal and run:

sudo visudo

2. Add this line at the end:

Defaults timestamp_timeout=0

3. Save and exit.

Security Implications for AI Tools

• Tools like Warp cannot escalate privileges on their own, but if you accept and run AI-generated sudo commands during the grace period, they will execute with full privileges.
• Always review AI-generated commands—especially those involving sudo—and consider reducing or eliminating the grace period for enhanced security.

References

• [Vibe coding - Wikipedia]¹²⁴
• [MIT Technology Review]³
• [Simon Willison's commentary]⁴