The term “vibe coding,” coined by Andrej Karpathy in 2025, sent the tech world into a frenzy. The idea was simple but transformative: prompt a Generative AI model—such as ChatGPT or Anthropic—to build a software program using everyday language, and have the system generate production-ready code in languages like Python or Java.
Very quickly, students, professionals, hobbyists and enthusiasts embraced vibe coding to build games, applications, business systems, websites and more. Startups, too, sensed opportunity—turning months-long development cycles into minutes. With just a description of the vibe of a product, a functional output could be generated almost instantly. Unsurprisingly, “vibe coding” was named the word of the year in 2025.
Vibe coding soon moved beyond experimentation. Companies began training employees to use these tools and pushed for their adoption as a means to boost productivity. Large firms, including Microsoft, predicted substantial gains as the technology matured.
Yet, adoption in the public sector and government departments remains limited. This article examines the use of vibe coding across government departments in different countries. On the surface, the potential is enormous: process automation, citizen engagement tools, data analysis and visualization, modernization of legacy systems, assistance applications, error detection and correction, and processing of large data sets.
These possibilities could significantly strengthen global e government initiatives. However, several caveats persist. Vibe coded products could heighten risks around privacy breaches and data loss if deployed without proper scrutiny. They may also be vulnerable to malware attacks, while autonomous vibe coded agents could inadvertently expose sensitive data or systems. Further, many legacy systems—built on decades old principles—may not easily integrate with vibe coded modules. Government agencies may also face increased oversight requirements as these tools proliferate.
We conducted a survey of around 200 personnel across government departments in five countries over six months. The results were revealing: only 15 percent of respondents had heard of vibe coding, and of these, 95 percent were in information technology management roles. Once the concept was explained, 64 percent were willing to try it, while 75 percent said they would experiment with the tools if training were provided. A striking 92 percent, however, expressed concerns about risks and long term viability, and emphasized the need for detailed audit procedures.
Based on our analysis, we recommend the following for public sector and government professionals:
One, vibe coding training should be integrated into ongoing learning programmes for all employees—not just IT personnel—to raise awareness and build capacity.Two, employees must be trained in security protocols, supported by strengthened organizational security procedures. Clear policies on the inclusion of vibe coded systems should be implemented across departments.
Three, ownership of systems should be expanded beyond IT departments. Currently, most employees view IT as the domain of “systems” teams. Vibe coding empowers frontline users to design and create tools they deploy themselves, enhancing accountability and ownership.
Four, vibe coding tools should support local and vernacular languages, not just English. This would greatly benefit employees who work directly with citizens, enabling them to translate local requirements into system commands through natural-language prompts.
The recent release of powerful tools like Claude Code and OpenAI’s Codex has further accelerated the rise of vibe coding. These platforms can generate complex systems using simple instructions, making it imperative for public sector and government personnel to embrace them. Doing so will not only streamline their own work but also improve citizen services through more responsive and effective systems.
Rishabh is a PGP Alumnus (2017-19), Rahul retired as Professor of Information Systems, both from IIM Bangalore.
First Published: Mar 05, 2026, 12:33
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