Vibe Coding in Test Automation: Revolution or Risk?

A few months ago, if someone would have told me that automation engineers will spend more time in writing the prompts than writing the code, I wouldn’t have probably believed them.

But, Today, this conversation has become a reality.

Whether it is ChatGPT, Claude, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, or other AI tools, a new way of building software is emerging the Vibe Coding.

Instead of carefully typing each and every line of Selenium or Playwright code, automation engineers can simply describe what they want in plain English, and AI generates the automation scripts.

It sounds exciting. It also raises an important question:

Is Vibe Coding the future of test automation, or is it just another technology trend that will eventually fade away?

After, I am experimenting with AI-assisted automation and observing how teams are adopting it, I believe that the answer lies somewhere in between.

What Exactly Is Vibe Coding?

Vibe Coding doesn’t mean “coding without knowledge.”

It means focusing on what needs to be built instead of how to write every line of code.

For example, instead of manually writing:

• Launch the browser
• Navigate to the application
• Locate username and password fields
• Enter credentials
• Click Login
• Validate the dashboard

You can simply ask AI:

“Create a Playwright test using the Page Object Model that logs into the application, validates the dashboard, captures screenshots on failure, and follows coding best practices.”

Within a second, AI generates a script, which could be working.

The developer or automation engineer then reviews, improves, and integrates that code it into the framework. Coding has now become less about knowing the syntax of the code and more about communicating what is intended.

Why Is Everyone Talking About AI?

So let me be honest. One of the biggest challenges in automation testing, is not writing about complex logic, but it is about writing the same repetitive code again and again.

Example: How many times we have created:

• Login scripts
• Page Objects
• Utility classes
• Wait methods
• Assertions
• API validation code
• Test data builders

Most automation engineers have written the same code hundreds of times.
Vibe Coding removes majority of this repetitive effort.

Instead of spending an hour writing boilerplate code, AI can generate the code minutes.

That really does not eliminate the need for engineers, it simply allows them to focus on solving real time testing problems, which they usually cannot, due to time constraint.

Where Vibe Coding Truly Adds Value

From my experience, AI performs remarkably well in areas that follow predictable patterns.

These include:

• Creating Selenium or Playwright scripts
• Generating Page Object classes
• API automation
• Unit and integration test templates
• Test data generation
• Documentation
• Converting manual test cases into automation
• Explaining unfamiliar code
• Refactoring existing scripts

These are some of the activities that consume significant engineering time but don’t always require deep creativity. This is where we can add multiplier productivity in coding.

But where is the catch?

The excitement around AI sometimes creates an unrealistic expectation. Many people believe that AI can completely replace automation engineers. But, I don’t think we’re anywhere close to that. Enterprise level automation isn’t just about generating scripts. It’s about understanding below:

• Business workflows
• Risk areas
• Framework architecture
• Test strategy
• CI/CD integration
• Reusability
• Maintainability
• Reporting
• Security
• Performance
• Governance

These decisions require personal experience, context, and judgment which only a human can bring. AI doesn’t understand your application’s business rules unless you provide that context. It can generate code, but it cannot own a quality.

The Biggest Risk is False Confidence

One of the most dangerous aspects of Vibe Coding is that AI often produces the code that looks correct. It compiles. It runs. It sometimes it even passes, but underneath, there may be:

• Weak locators
• Duplicate methods
• Poor exception handling
• Hardcoded test data
• Unnecessary waits
• Security issues
• Framework violations

If engineers stop reviewing AI-generated code simply, just because it “works,” technical debt will accumulate faster than ever. Good automation is never about writing code quickly. It is about writing code that remains reliable.

What Changes for Automation Engineers?

This is probably is one of the most interesting question. I don’t believe automation engineers will disappear, but their responsibilities will evolve.

Tomorrow’s automation engineer will spend less time typing the code and more time:

• Designing automation architecture
• Writing effective prompts
• Reviewing AI-generated code
• Improving maintainability
• Building reusable frameworks
• Validating AI recommendations
• Ensuring governance and quality

In other words, engineering becomes more strategic.AI will writes. Humans will decide.

How Should Teams Adopt Vibe Coding?

The smartest organizations won’t replace engineers with AI. They will combine both. Some practical guidelines include:

• Treat AI as a pair programmer, not as an autonomous developer.
• Review every script generated before merging it.
• Keep framework design under human control.
• Establish coding standards for AI-generated code.
• Validate security, performance, and maintainability of the code.
• Train teams about not only on automation but also on prompt engineering.

AI should accelerate engineering, not replace engineering discipline.

So it is Revolution or Risk?

In my opinion, it is both. Vibe Coding is unquestionably changing how automation is developed. Teams can deliver scripts faster, prototype ideas more quickly, and reduce the repetitive work more significantly. However, speed without governance introduces the risk. Poorly reviewed AI-generated automation code can become difficult to maintain, harder to debug, and more expensive in the long run. Like every major technological shift, success doesn’t depend on the tool it depends on how we use it.

Final Thoughts

The future of test automation isn’t about humans competing the coding with AI. It’s about humans collaborating with AI. The most successful automation engineers won’t necessarily be those who write the most code. They will be the ones who understand testing deeply, design robust automation frameworks, and know how to guide AI effectively. Vibe Coding isn’t replacing expertise. It’s raising the bar for what expertise looks like. And perhaps that is the real revolution.