Andrew Ng, the renowned AI pioneer, Google Brain founder, and Stanford professor, is calling on professionals across all sectors to embrace AI-assisted coding, often referred to as “vibe coding,” as a core competency in the modern workplace.
Speaking at Snowflake’s Build conference on Monday, Ng framed vibe coding as a transformative tool that lowers barriers to programming and dramatically increases productivity, according to BI.
“The bar to coding is now lower than it ever has been,” Ng said. “People that code, be it CEOs and marketers, recruiters, not just software engineers, will really get more done than ones that don’t.”
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He emphasized that AI-assisted tools allow workers to experiment, prototype, and build products faster and at a fraction of the traditional cost.
“It’s a wonderful time for people to build something they’re passionate about because it can be done in less time and at costs that are much lower than ever before,” he added.
Ng urged attendees to abandon conventional hand-coding methods in favor of AI support. “Don’t code by hand. Don’t do the old way. Get AI to help you to code,” he said, stressing that AI can enhance productivity and make the coding experience more enjoyable across all professional roles.
The AI pioneer also warned of a widening skills gap in traditional computer science education, noting that curricula have not yet adapted to the growing need for AI-related coding skills.
“Computer science majors are seeing an uptick in unemployment because universities haven’t adapted the curricula fast enough for AI coding,” Ng said. “Even I can’t hire enough people that really know AI.”
The surge in AI-assisted coding is mirrored by activity from tech leaders highlighting its potential. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang recently mentioned several vibe coding startups — including Cursor, Harvey, Open Evidence, and Lovable — as part of what he called the human-digital workforce revolution.
“Future workforces in enterprise will be a combination of humans and digital humans,” Huang said in an interview with Citadel Securities, describing how AI tools could become integral collaborators in enterprise workflows.
Executives outside of traditional software engineering roles are already adopting vibe coding to streamline innovation. Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski explained in a September podcast that AI coding tools like Cursor allow him to rapidly test ideas without burdening engineers.
“Rather than disturbing my poor engineers and product people with what is half good ideas and half bad ideas, now I test it myself,” he said. “I come say, ‘Look, I’ve actually made this work, this is how it works, what do you think, could we do it this way?’”
The labor market is also reflecting this trend. A June report by Business Insider highlighted that companies such as Visa, Reddit, DoorDash, and numerous startups now explicitly require vibe coding experience or familiarity with AI code generators like Cursor and Bolt in job postings, signaling that the skill is becoming a baseline expectation rather than a niche advantage.
Experts say the growing prevalence of AI coding tools represents a fundamental shift in the way software is developed, democratizing access and enabling professionals in non-technical roles to create working prototypes and solutions independently. Vibe coding can accelerate product development cycles, reduce reliance on specialized engineers for initial experimentation, and foster innovation across departments from marketing to operations.
Ng’s advocacy pinpoints a broader point that, as AI increasingly integrates into business and research, the ability to leverage AI-assisted tools will likely define which professionals and organizations remain competitive. In his view, vibe coding is no longer an optional skill for engineers but a transformative capability for the entire workforce.
Vibe coding could mark the next major evolution in workplace productivity, according to Ng, by lowering the technical threshold for coding and combining human creativity with AI capabilities. Professionals and students who master these tools early are expected to gain a decisive advantage in a job market rapidly being reshaped by AI technologies.