Recently, my social media feed has been flooded with people calling themselves “developers” simply because they can prompt an AI to build a website. They showcase polished designs, highlight extremely low costs, and proudly say they didn’t need a professional.
On the surface, it looks impressive.
But as someone who has worked with WordPress and IT infrastructure for over six years, I can’t ignore the warning signs. To me, this feels uncomfortably similar to the early days of the dot-com boom. And like that era, I believe parts of this AI-coding hype will correct sharply within the next year or two.
The Rise of “Vibe Coding”
A term I keep seeing—whether explicitly or not—is vibe coding. It’s the act of throwing prompts at an AI agent until the screen “looks right.”
The problem is simple: if you don’t understand what the code is doing, you don’t truly own the project. You’re depending on a system you can’t reason about or repair. When I review AI-generated code created by non-developers, a few dangerous patterns show up repeatedly:
- Hidden technical debt: The code often works today, but it’s unnecessarily bloated—using 200 lines for something that could be done cleanly in 50. That debt shows up later when the site becomes slow or impossible to update.
- Security blind spots: AI focuses on satisfying your prompt, not on server-level security or real-world attack vectors like SQL injection or privilege escalation.
- The “cheap” trap: Hiring someone with no development understanding—or relying entirely on an AI agent—may save money upfront. But fixing a fragile system later often costs several times more than building it properly from the start.
How I Use AI Differently: Killing the Plugin Bloat
I am not anti-AI. I use it daily. However, I treat AI as a force multiplier, not a replacement for engineering judgment.
One of the biggest ways I use AI today is to eliminate bloated third-party plugins. In the WordPress ecosystem, people often install heavy plugins for small features, which slows down the site and creates security risks. Instead, I use AI to help draft custom, lightweight PHP functions tailored to the exact requirement.
The result for my clients:
- Fewer paid subscriptions: No more monthly fees for simple features.
- Faster page load times: Cleaner, leaner code means better performance.
- Full control: We own the logic, and we aren’t waiting on a third-party developer to fix a bug.
This approach keeps systems lean and understandable. I also push my custom code and experiments to GitHub so my work remains transparent and maintainable: github.com/VJ-Ranga
My Advice: Use AI to Learn, Not Just to Build
If you’re starting a project—say in PHP or Laravel—and you’re not a developer, here is a practical approach I recommend:
- Build with AI first: Get the MVP (Minimum Viable Product) running. Seeing something work is motivating and helps you test your business idea quickly.
- Then slow down: Don’t just move on. Ask the AI to explain the code back to you. “Why is this loop here?” “What happens if this input is malicious?”
- Become the pilot: You don’t need a massive team anymore—but you do need to understand the architecture your business depends on. Use AI as a tutor to bridge your knowledge gap.
Final Thought
AI is excellent for landing pages, prototypes, and temporary tools. But for long-term systems, someone must understand the “why” behind the code.
Saving $1,000 today by skipping professional understanding can cost you the entire system tomorrow. Use the tools. Move fast. But don’t abandon the craft.
