ICSE 2026
Sun 12 - Sat 18 April 2026 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Wed 15 Apr 2026 16:15 - 16:30 at Oceania V - Human and Social Aspects 4 Chair(s): Yang Yue

AI code generation tools are transforming software development, especially for novice and non-software developers, by enabling them to write code and build applications faster and with little to no human intervention. Vibe coding is the practice where users rely on AI code generation tools through intuition and trial-and-error without necessarily understanding the underlying code. Despite widespread adoption, no research has systematically investigated why users engage in vibe coding, what they experience while doing so, and how they approach quality assurance (QA) and perceive the quality of the AI-generated code. To this end, we conduct a systematic grey literature review of 101 practitioner sources, extracting 518 firsthand behavioral accounts about vibe coding practices, challenges, and limitations. Our analysis reveals a speed–quality trade-off paradox, where vibe coders are motivated by speed and accessibility, often experiencing rapid “instant success and flow”, yet most perceive the resulting code as fast but flawed. QA practices are frequently overlooked, with many skipping testing, relying on the models’ or tools’ outputs without modification, or delegating checks back to the AI code generation tools. This creates a new class of vulnerable software developers, particularly those who build a product but are unable to debug it when issues arise. We argue that vibe coding lowers barriers and accelerates prototyping, but at the cost of reliability and maintainability. These insights carry implications for tool designers and software development teams. Understanding how vibe coding is practiced today is crucial for guiding its responsible use and preventing a broader QA crisis in AI-assisted development.

Wed 15 Apr

Displayed time zone: Brasilia, Distrito Federal, Brazil change

16:00 - 17:30
Human and Social Aspects 4SE In Practice (SEIP) / SE in Society (SEIS) at Oceania V
Chair(s): Yang Yue California State University San Marcos
16:00
15m
Talk
Beyond the Commit: Developer Perspectives on Productivity with AI Coding AssistantsVirtual Attendance
SE In Practice (SEIP)
Valerie Chen Carnegie Mellon University, Jasmyn He BNY Mellon, Behnjamin Williams BNY Mellon, Jason Valentino BNY Mellon, Ameet Talwalkar Carnegie Mellon University
Pre-print Media Attached
16:15
15m
Talk
Vibe Coding in Practice: Motivations, Challenges, and a Future Outlook – a Grey Literature Review
SE In Practice (SEIP)
Ahmed Fawzy Massey University, Amjed Tahir Massey University, Kelly Blincoe University of Auckland
16:30
15m
Talk
Developer Needs and Feasible Features for AI Assistants in IDEs
SE In Practice (SEIP)
Agnia Sergeyuk JetBrains Research, Ekaterina Koshchenko JetBrains Research, Ilya Zakharov JetBrains Research, Timofey Bryksin JetBrains Research, Mali Izadi TU Delft
16:45
15m
Talk
Developers’ Experience with Generative AI - First Insights from an Empirical Mixed-Methods Field Study
SE In Practice (SEIP)
Charlotte Brandebusemeyer Hasso Plattner Institute, University of Potsdam, Tobias Schimmer SAP Labs, Bert Arnrich Hasso Plattner Institute, University of Potsdam
Pre-print
17:00
15m
Talk
AI Where It Matters: Where, Why, and How Developers Want AI Support in Daily Work
SE In Practice (SEIP)
Rudrajit Choudhuri Oregon State University, Carmen Badea Microsoft Research, Christian Bird Microsoft Research, Jenna L. Butler Microsoft Research, Robert DeLine Microsoft Research, Brian Houck Microsoft Research
Pre-print
17:15
15m
Talk
Perspective Coach: Exploring LLMs for Developer Reflection
SE in Society (SEIS)
Lauren Olson Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Emitzá Guzmán Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Florian Kunneman Utrecht University
Pre-print