An illustration of business professionals using an AI interface to generate code, representing the trend of citizen development.

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AI Coding Spreads Beyond Developers

TL;DR: AI-powered tools are enabling non-technical staff in departments like HR and marketing to generate code, a trend called 'vibe coding.' This shift is democratizing software development, helping reduce backlogs and solve business problems faster, but it also introduces new risks that require IT oversight.

By Neeraj DhimanCIO.comjust now1 min readupdated 1m ago

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Key facts

Category: AI
Impact: High
Published: just now
Source: CIO.com

Full summary

A trend known as 'vibe coding' is enabling non-technical business teams to generate their own software using AI, changing the role of IT.

A trend known as "vibe coding" is expanding rapidly beyond traditional software development teams into various business departments. Driven by the rise of AI agents and chatbots that can generate code from simple prompts, this movement is democratizing software creation. Non-technical employees in areas like human resources and marketing are now empowered to build their own applications and tools to solve immediate business needs. This marks a significant shift, turning software development into a more accessible skill across the enterprise. Technology leaders are not just observing this change; many are actively encouraging and guiding its adoption within their organizations to foster innovation and agility.

This rise of citizen developers offers substantial benefits, such as reducing the backlog for central IT teams and enabling solutions to be created by those who are closest to the business problem. It can unlock new opportunities that were previously unfeasible due to resource constraints. However, this trend also introduces significant risks. The role of IT is evolving from being the sole provider of software to that of an enabler and governor. IT organizations must now focus on establishing the right support structures, governance frameworks, and security protocols to manage the quality and safety of applications built by non-developers, ensuring these new tools are both effective and secure.

Why it matters

This trend shifts IT's role from sole creator to an enabler responsible for governance, security, and quality. It empowers business units to solve their own problems, but requires new oversight strategies from CTOs and IT leaders to manage the associated risks.

Business impact

Empowers non-technical departments like HR and marketing to create their own software solutions, potentially reducing IT backlogs and speeding up problem-solving. However, it requires investment in new governance and security frameworks to manage risks from code generated by non-experts.