Why Learning to Code Still Matters in the Age of AI (and Vibe Coding)

Lately, I hear a version of this question everywhere:

“With AI and vibe coding, is learning to code still important?”

It’s a fair question. Tools are getting smarter. Prompts are powerful. You can describe what you want in plain language and watch something appear on your screen that looks like working software.

But here’s the thing I shared during our first RAD Women Code info session this year, and what I want to expand on here:

AI doesn’t replace the need to understand code.
It raises the bar on why that understanding matters.

AI Is an Accelerator, Not a Substitute

AI is incredible at getting you started.

It can:

• Generate boilerplate code
• Suggest patterns and examples
• Translate ideas into syntax
• Help you move faster than ever before

But acceleration only helps if you know where you’re going.

Without foundational coding knowledge, you’re essentially trusting a very fast intern who never gets tired, but also doesn’t understand your system, your data model, your constraints, or your long-term goals.

Knowing Code Changes How You Prompt

One of the biggest misconceptions about AI is that prompting is “just asking nicely.”

Good prompting is technical communication.

When you understand:

• how code should be structured
• what good vs. bad patterns look like
• what scalability, security, and maintainability mean

…you can guide AI instead of guessing.

You don’t just say:

“Write me some code that does X.”

You say:

• “Use this pattern”
• “Avoid recursion here”
• “This needs to scale to N users”
• “Follow platform best practices”
• “Explain tradeoffs before implementing”

That difference is everything.

You Can’t Validate What You Don’t Understand

AI will confidently give you answers that:

• almost work
• work for the demo but not production
• work now but fail later
• introduce subtle performance or security issues

If you don’t understand the code:

• You can’t verify correctness
• You can’t assess risk
• You can’t debug intelligently
• You can’t explain decisions to a team or stakeholder

Learning to code gives you discernment, not just output.

Architects, Developers, and Builders Still Need Judgment

As an architect, I don’t need to write every line of code anymore, but I absolutely need to:

• read it
• reason about it
• review it
• design around it

AI can generate solutions.
Humans are still responsible for outcomes.

Understanding code lets you:

• spot anti-patterns
• design scalable systems
• know when not to automate
• make tradeoffs consciously

That’s not going away. If anything, it’s becoming more important.

Learning to Code Is About Agency

For me, this is the part that matters most, especially in programs like RAD Women Code.

Learning to code isn’t just about syntax.

It’s about:

• confidence
• independence
• curiosity
• the ability to build instead of wait
• the ability to ask better questions

AI can help you move faster.
Coding knowledge helps you stay in control.

The Future Isn’t “No Code” vs. “All Code”

The future is:

• humans + AI
• judgment + automation
• understanding + acceleration

If you learn to code today, you’re not competing with AI.

You’re learning how to work with it, guide it, and build responsibly on top of it.

And that’s a skill that will age extremely well.