HUMAN-IN-THE-LOOP BEATS VIBE CODING

Integrate 'human-in-the-loop' planning in AI-assisted software development for quality control and code comprehension

Dec 17, 2025 6m 35s

Maciej Korolik

Expert Insights

Maciej Korolik underscores the importance of the 'human-in-the-loop' approach to integrating AI in software development over 'vibe coding', asserting that this approach ensures quality, understanding, and human oversight.

Maciej challenges the notion that AI will replace developers in application development. Algorithmic confidence, he underlines, cannot replace human expertise and intuition.

Hear Maciej explain:

The value of 'human-in-the-loop' planning over 'vibe coding', where developers leverage AI for quick prototyping but maintain critical oversight when working on production, preserving code quality and comprehensibility.
How an AI-assisted workflow operates, connecting JIRA product requirements with AI agent tasks, facilitating detailed planning before implementation, and shifting developer efforts towards validation rather than mechanical coding.
Why architects should remain involved in AI-assisted task delegations, ideally only delegating tasks they are confident in completing themselves. This preserves hands-on expertise, fosters learning and knowledge sharing, and ensures accountability and clarity in the face of AI integration challenges.
The power of 'planning mode' in his human-in-the-loop protocol, where AI models prepare a full plan for feature implementation, taking into account both product requirements and current code context. This allows developers to verify, tweak, and confirm the implementation plan before AI kicks in to execute it.
The importance of AI tools asking clarifying questions and making sure they fully comprehend the task ahead. This not only ensures effective implementation but also offers a measure of the AI model's understanding of the task.

I do vibe coding sometimes when I'm doing things for myself, but when I'm working on production, I care about quality, and I also want to understand the code. (...) So I have the full plan divided into steps, this is where human is in the loop. I can read everything. I can check if it makes sense.

Monterail Team Analysis

Here's your actionable roadmap derived from Maciej Korolik's insights:

Prioritize 'human-in-the-loop' planning: Foster an AI-integration approach that maintains human oversight, ensuring comprehension of the code and quality control in production, not just in rapid prototyping or 'vibe coding'.
Structure an AI-assisted workflow: Utilize tools like JIRA in concert with AI agents to facilitate detailed planning before implementation and to shift developer efforts from mechanical coding to validation.
Foster human collaboration with AI: Encourage human validation at each step, even if AI is capable of autonomous execution. Do not blindly trust AI, but use it as a tool to enhance developer productivity.
Leverage AI for detailed planning: Use 'planning mode' in your AI tools to prepare a full implementation plan for a feature. This includes understanding product requirements and the current state of the application code to create a comprehensive roadmap.
Foster two-way communication with AI tools: Attune your AI tools to ask relevant questions that confirm their understanding of the task, providing an additional verification layer before execution.
Leverage AI for tasks familiar to developers: Delegate familiar tasks to AI, this ensures human understanding is part of the process and can troubleshoot or validate effectively.
Utilize the 'planning mode' for large tasks: In complex or large features, use AI to prepare and validate a step-by-step implementation plan before executing it. This helps in keeping the process on track and reduces the chances of the AI model getting 'distracted' or deviating from the desired outcome.