A 44-year-old UK firefighter frustrated with backtracking through grocery stores used AI chatbots like Claude to build an app that optimizes shopping routes based on user movement. An entrepreneur in Brooklyn is leveraging similar tools to organize construction of his new home. These are among several profiles in Business Insider's new 'Vibe Code Your Life' series, which highlights non-technical people solving mundane problems by instructing AI bots to create apps and websites.
The trend, dubbed 'vibe coding,' allows users to describe their needs in natural language to AI tools such as Claude or Lovable. No programming expertise is required — the AI handles the code generation. The approach democratizes software creation, enabling individuals from diverse backgrounds to build tailored digital solutions for personal and professional challenges.
Joe Poynton's grocery route app exemplifies the practical applications. The firefighter used conversational AI to design a program that rearranges shopping lists based on store layouts. Jonathan Butler, 56, is building a home in upstate New York and employs AI to manage project logistics. A third person, a father, used the technique to create a system for being virtually present in multiple locations simultaneously.
Adoption is growing among professionals outside the tech sector, suggesting a shift in how software is conceived and built. If scaled, such tools could reduce reliance on traditional developers for small-scale, personalized tasks. However, the long-term viability and security of AI-generated code remain open questions.
Critics caution that AI-generated applications may contain hidden bugs or security vulnerabilities, as the creators lack the expertise to audit the underlying code. The approach also raises questions about data privacy when users feed sensitive personal information into external AI models.