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OpenClaw developer labels 'vibe coding' a derogatory term
Peter Steinberger likened coding with AI to playing the guitar
OpenClaw’s creator criticises the term "vibe coding", expressing dislike for the term's condescending tone.
The popular tool OpenClaw is an outcome of AI programming editors. Its developer, Peter Steinberger, utilised OpenAI's Codex to create it. The original title, Clawdbot, was a nod to Claude Code.
The term 'vibe coding' has surfaced to describe this method: using AI prompts for coding. On OpenAI's "Builders Unscripted", Steinberger expressed his aversion to the term.
"There are individuals writing code in a traditional way, but that method will become obsolete," said Steinberger. "They label it 'vibe coding'. I find it insulting."
Steinberger pointed out that the term falsely implies simplicity.
"They don’t realise it’s an acquired skill," Steinberger remarked, comparing AI coding to mastering a guitar.
Other tech leaders have also voiced dislike for the term. Ex-Google Brain scientist Andrew Ng labeled it "unfortunate" and "misleading."
Former Tesla AI chief Andrej Karpathy, who coined the term, now advocates for agentic engineering as the future.
Though Steinberger disapproves of the term, vibe coding surged in popularity throughout 2025. Collins Dictionary recognized it as a word of the year.
If AI programming resembles playing the guitar, Steinberger has mastered his technique. OpenAI’s Romain Huet asked if he still dispatches code sans verification.
"Most code lacks excitement," Steinberger mentioned. "I have a solid grasp on what it produces."
One factor that enhanced Steinberger’s proficiency in AI coding: experience as a manager in the past.
"I once led a team," Steinberger mentioned. "I managed a group of software engineers. It meant accepting code that wasn’t just as I envisioned."
Prior to developing OpenClaw, Steinberger founded PSPDFKit. He has since engaged with numerous major AI institutions.
Anthropic requested him to rename his chatbot. Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg contacted him sharing his testing experiences, Steinberger stated.