HACKER Q&A
📣 arbayi

Will non-technical users stop using apps and start generating them?


With all the big players investing heavily in "vibe coding," I’m wondering how this changes things for non-technical users (people who have been using ChatGPT for a while now).

Are we reaching a point where it's easier to just build what you need rather than learning a new app/tool?

For example:

Do I bother with a specific slide-deck tool? Or do I just use a "slide creator skill" to write code that generates the presentation for me?

Do I hunt for an existing MCP server to bridge an API? Or do I just prompt the AI to build the connection and get the data I need writing the code directly?

Do I go install a note-taking app, or just create one?

I feel like "building from scratch" is becoming the path of least resistance. Will end users keep using off-the-shelf software, or will they start creating their own little apps because it's becoming so easy?


  👤 andsoitis Accepted Answer ✓
> Are we reaching a point where it's easier to just build what you need rather than learning a new app/tool?

Applications and tools have always been about solving a particular problem. Some software are more general out of the box than others and so can be applied to wide range of specific tasks. Famously, spreadsheets are great for this.

I'd argue that ChatGPT is even more general than spreadsheets on enough dimensions that it can be used for a much wider range of problems, including workflows.


👤 eimrine
Your questions misses the point on why non-tech bros use apps. They are forced to do that.

Generating your own fetters will not solve any typical problems such as inability to use some old dishwasher which requires using someone else's computer which supposes to run some abandonware until it stopped to do that.