When AI Coding Actually Works (and When It Doesn't): A Trainer's Honest Take on Vibe Coding

When I first heard the term "vibe coding," I rolled my eyes. It sounded like another overhyped tech trend that would promise miracles and deliver headaches.

Here's what it actually is: having a conversation with AI to build interactive web-based tools without knowing how to code. You describe what you want, AI writes the code, you test it, you tell AI what's wrong, AI fixes it. Repeat until it works — or until you realize the task is too complex for this approach.

After spending several hours experimenting with this, here's my honest take.

When It Actually Works

AI coding is genuinely useful for simple, well-defined interactive tools. These take 15–30 minutes to create with AI versus hours in traditional authoring tools:

• Multiple choice quizzes with immediate feedback

• Flashcard-style review tools

• Searchable reference guides

• Basic decision trees

When It Falls Apart

Don't bother attempting these with vibe coding — the debugging time will outweigh any benefit:

• Complex branching scenarios (debugging is a nightmare)

• Anything requiring a database or user accounts

• Integration with your LMS

• Realistic simulations that need to behave predictably

The Reality Nobody Tells You

Before you start, it helps to know what you're actually signing up for:

• Your first attempt may take two hours to produce something that works for five minutes

• Expect to spend 30% of your time describing what you want and 70% testing and fixing bugs

• Some bugs won't make sense no matter how many times you ask AI to fix them — that's your signal to simplify

What I've Learned: Rules for Getting It Right

Start ridiculously simple. Don't try to build your dream tool on the first attempt. Build something basic, then add features one at a time.

Test on multiple devices. What works on your computer might not work on phones — especially important if officers will be using the tool in the field.

Know when to stop. If you've gone through five iterations and it's still broken, it's probably too complex for this approach. That's not a failure — it's information.

Have a backup plan. Never rely solely on a vibe-coded tool for critical training delivery.

The Bottom Line

Can you create a working flashcard quiz in 20 minutes without knowing any code? Yes. Can you build a complex simulation? No. That's the honest reality of where we are right now.

Vibe coding isn't replacing professional development tools anytime soon. But for simple, reusable interactive elements — the kind that used to require a developer or a full authoring tool license — it's actually pretty useful.

Want to Try This With Your Team?

Odin Training Solutions offers private virtual workshops where training teams create these kinds of tools together and troubleshoot issues in real time — using your department's actual training topics.

90-minute AI Accelerator: $1,000 CDN / $750 USD | 4-hour Interactive Workshop: $2,500 CDN / $2,000 USD

Contact kerry.avery@shaw.ca to set something up.