Vibe coding isn't as simple as it sounds. Here's what I learned about AI through trial and error.

In a world where technology continues to evolve, the concept of vibe coding has emerged, sparking interest among both novices and experts alike. Tech leaders, including Alphabet's CEO Sundar Pichai, are advocating for individuals to explore this innovative approach, which utilizes AI to generate code through natural language prompts. Intrigued by the prospect, I decided to embark on a personal project, aiming to create a tool that would streamline my experience on social media—a task I dreaded as a journalist. My goal was to develop a single webpage that would aggregate posts from prominent figures like former President Donald Trump, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, allowing me to bypass the inefficiencies of logging into multiple platforms. I began my journey around 2 p.m., reaching out to ChatGPT for assistance, despite my complete lack of coding experience. The AI provided a structured plan, guiding me through the initial steps of downloading software and creating necessary files. However, the excitement soon turned to frustration when an error message appeared upon launching my local web server. Undeterred, I sought ChatGPT's guidance to troubleshoot the issue, but each modification seemed to generate new errors. After hitting a wall, I turned to my partner, who holds a Ph.D. in computer science and physics. He advised me to simplify my approach by focusing on a single feed rather than attempting to aggregate multiple sources at once. Furthermore, he emphasized the importance of treating ChatGPT as a collaborative partner rather than a mere search engine. With a fresh perspective, I redefined my project to emulate a feed for Trump’s Truth Social without needing direct access. I asked ChatGPT for the best way to initiate this task, and it suggested creating a mock feed first to ensure the code was functioning correctly before integrating real posts. Following this advice, I successfully generated a mock feed with sample posts. However, I quickly encountered another hurdle—a 'cannot fetch feed' error. Instead of resorting to complicated solutions, ChatGPT simply recommended switching browsers, which ultimately resolved the issue. Within moments, my first vibe-coded web application was operational. This experience underscored a crucial lesson: while AI can assist in coding, a foundational understanding of the process is essential. My journey has shown that coding with AI is most effective when I am prepared to engage actively with the technology, learn from the process, and take incremental steps toward a solution. Ultimately, my foray into vibe coding not only addressed a personal pain point but also imparted valuable insights into the intricacies of working with AI.