Agentic Coding
ELI5 — The Vibe Check
Agentic coding is when AI doesn't just suggest code — it autonomously writes, runs, tests, debugs, and iterates on code by itself. You give it a goal like 'add user authentication' and it plans the work, creates files, runs tests, fixes errors, and delivers working code. You went from pair programming to having an AI intern who actually ships.
Real Talk
Agentic coding refers to AI systems that autonomously execute multi-step software development tasks with minimal human intervention. Unlike autocomplete-style AI (Copilot), agentic coding tools (Claude Code, Devin, Cursor Agent) can plan implementations, modify multiple files, execute commands, run tests, and iterate on failures. It represents the frontier of AI-assisted development, moving from suggestion to execution.
When You'll Hear This
"Agentic coding handled the entire migration — I just reviewed the PR." / "The future isn't AI-assisted coding, it's agentic coding where the AI does the work."
Related Terms
Agentic Workflow
An agentic workflow is when you give an AI a goal and let it figure out the steps to get there — breaking down tasks, using tools, making decisions, and it...
AI Pair Programming
AI pair programming is pair programming where your partner is an AI.
Claude Code
Claude Code is Anthropic's agentic coding tool that lives in your terminal.
Vibe Coding
Vibe coding is writing software by vibes — you describe what you want to an AI, it writes the code, and you just... vibe.