Should Students Learn to Code with AI? Why Vibe Coding is the Answer

Should students still learn to code now that AI can write code for them?

I get this question from educators and parents all the time. The short answer: yes, but not in the way you think.

Learners don't need to memorize programming syntax anymore. What they need to learn is how to work with AI to build things. We call this "vibe coding."

What is vibe coding?

Vibe coding means describing what you want in plain English, and AI generates the code for you. Instead of learning syntax, students learn to articulate ideas and iterate on them.

When I was a kid, I dreamt of this. Pull up game maker, add some assets, and then 'make it multiplayer' and it just does it." - Yahiamice

That dream is now real.

Why should students use AI for coding?

Traditional coding is like forcing kids to learn music theory before they can play a song. They're bursting with creativity but they have to learn a million things before they even see their ideas made real. With AI coding, they see the result of their hard work much sooner, which increases their motivation to keep going on the long journey to being an artist, a creator, or even a founder.

Nobody knows what jobs will exist in 10 years, but we know AI will be everywhere. Students who learn to use AI to build things now will have a huge advantage.

Even if they don't want to become a software engineer, knowing how to make an app for whatever they need will be useful in any career. Software can save them time and help them spend more time doing what they love.

What do students actually learn from vibe coding?

When a student vibe codes, they're:

• Learning to articulate ideas clearly - AI needs clear instructions or it will build the wrong thing. It can write almost any code but if it isn't clear what you want, it can only do so much. People are a lot like that too, these communication skills are useful across the board.
• Building iteratively - They make something, see it doesn't work quite right, refine their description, try again. That's problem-solving and persistence.
• Understanding how things connect - They see how buttons do things, how screens link together, how apps actually work.
• Making real things - They can show their friends, share it with family, actually use what they built.

What's the best AI coding tool for learners?

Traditional coding requires setting up your development environment, provisioning servers, version control... People just want to build.

We're biased, but we think the best spot is WebSim. You create a project, describe what you want, and see it work immediately. When you're done, click publish and share it.

But WebSim is more than a tool - it's a community. Learners can see what others are making, remix ideas that inspire them, and get feedback on their own projects. Other users comment, they respond with new features and bug fixes. This mirrors how real product development works, and creates valuable skills to see a creative project through its whole life cycle.

This is what learning to code with AI should look like. We're constantly blown away by the things our users are making. We've seen people vibe coding incremental games, an AI-powered text-based RPG, and even a Windows XP simulator.