My take
Vibecoder can be a developer if they own the full responsibility of software, not just the happy path generation.
The real difference isn’t “AI vs no AI”.
It’s ownership:
- Can you spec what you want (requirements + constraints)?
- Can you debug when it breaks?
- Can you test and verify edge cases?
- Can you maintain it (refactor, upgrade deps, handle regressions)?
- Can you ship safely (security, data handling, deployment)?
- Can you support users when things go wrong?
If someone can reliably do those (even with AI), they’re acting as a developer.
If someone can only “get it working once” but can’t explain/maintain it, they’re more like:
prototype builder / prompt operator / maker still valuable, just different category.
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