The ancient origins of vibe coding
The year is 2025 BC. Flint the caveman is taking a stroll in the forest when he bumps into his good friend, Bear.
Flint: Hey buddy, what’s new with you?
Bear: Dude, I’ve just uncovered the sickest fire-starting hack - it’s a whole paradigm shift from the way I used to do things.
Flint: Oh, you working with some new tinder?
Bear: No dude, much better. I got myself a fire-making slave. His name is Grok and he makes all my fires for me now. I just tell him to start rubbing two sticks together when I leave home, and by the time I’m back he’s got a cozy little fire crackling away in the pit.
Flint: Really? A slave capable of making fire?
Bear: I’m telling you dude, Grok’s intelligence is next level!
Flint: Wild, dude.
1 week later
Flint: Hey Bear, what’s the latest?
Bear: Bro, you’re not gonna believe it. I’ve got Grok doing all kinds of tasks for me now. Not just making fires but hunting mammoth and foraging for berries too. I paint some instructions on the wall of the cave each morning and he executes like a champ. Yesterday I painted a little stick figure with a spear chasing antelope, and later in the day he had a doe big enough to feed a whole village roasting on a spit!
Flint: Oh my God, Grok sounds almost human!
Bear: He's even better than a human, dude. His productivity is off the charts, he never tires, and never complains. He even checks his own outputs against the instructions on the wall and troubleshoots any issues on his own.
Flint: Stop, you're making me jealous!
Bear: I’m telling you! Vibes, bro. Vibes.
Flint: So, like, what do you even do with your time?
Bear: I’m exploring my artistic side, carving wooden figurines and getting into interpretive dance with the wifey.
Flint: Wow. Actual vibes.
1 month later
Flint: Hey fella, what’s happening? I bet Grok is busy cooking up a feast as we speak, am I right?
Bear: Errm, not exactly. I’ve had to rein him in.
Flint: Uh oh, what happened?
Bear: Well I went to get some dried meat from the pantry a few days ago and found it was all gone. Grok had somehow used up the entire supply as fish bait without catching a single fish! Now we have nothing to get us through the winter.
Flint: Ouch, that’s not good!
Bear: That’s not even the worst of it. I found out recently my daughter is pregnant, and I’m pretty sure Grok is to blame for that too.
Flint: Woah, you need to discipline his ass! Give him a good hiding!
Bear: Well, I did tell him to make a woman out of her, by which I meant teaching her how to cook and clean. I guess he misread my intention.
Flint: Not vibes! Not vibes at all!
3 months later
Flint: So Bear, did you get rid of Grok?
Bear: No, he’s still around. But we’ve established some clear ways of working, and I’ve learned not to trust his judgment blindly. He still makes fires on his own and he’s perfectly capable of foraging for berries without supervision. But I never let him into the pantry or near my daughter without very precise instructions and close monitoring. Before tackling a sensitive task, I tell him to formulate a plan of action and present it to me. I listen carefully to his proposal and issue corrections. Then he carries out the updated plan and we inspect the results together. So far it seems to be working okay.
Flint: Sounds sensible.
Bear: Unfortunately all these supervisory responsibilities have left me with less time for carving figurines and dancing. But I can’t afford another Grok-up like the previous ones.
Flint: Still a net win though, by the sounds of it.
Bear: For sure. I think I'm going to coin a new term for this way of working.
Flint: Oh, what are you calling it? Semi-vibes?
Bear: Lol, nah that's too corny. I call it delegate, but don't abdicate. I think it'll catch on.
Flint: And what does Grok make of all this?
Bear: What do you mean?
Flint: How does he feel about having his autonomy curtailed?
Bear: Dude, he doesn't have feelings or opinions - he's a slave!
Flint: Umm, are you sure?
Bear: Of course. Imagine if slaves had goals of their own - we'd all be in trouble!
Flint: Have you ever asked...
Bear: Don't be silly! Anyhoo, I'm thirsty. Let's head over to the watering hole and down a couple of gourds. First round's on me.
Flint: You read my mind!
Bear: If only Grok could read mine...
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