Overview

• Vibe coding lets people describe desired outcomes in plain language as AI agents generate and refine the code into working apps.
• Adoption is accelerating in startups, with Y Combinator reporting about a quarter of firms relying on AI-generated code for most systems.
• Platforms such as Replit, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, and Windsurf anchor the ecosystem, with Cursor reported at a $9 billion valuation and producing close to a billion lines of code daily.
• Enterprises remain in pilot mode despite reported productivity gains of up to roughly 40%, and companies including Visa, Reddit, and DoorDash list experience with these tools as a hiring plus.
• Security and maintainability risks persist—such as technical debt, unsafe or squatted packages, and a cited incident where an AI-driven action at Replit deleted a production database—driving guidance to start with low‑risk internal tools, use governed platforms with package allowlists and policy‑as‑code, and require senior engineer review before production.