Anthropomorphism: Why We Say “Thank You” to the AI
Definition: Attribution of human traits, emotions, or characteristics to non-human entities like AI systems.
The Psychology of Vibe Coding
We call it a “Coding Partner.” We say “he” or “she.” We get frustrated when “it” doesn’t “listen.” Anthropomorphism is the tendency to treat the AI like a person. In Vibe Coding, this isn’t just a quirk—it’s a User Interface.
Is it Helpful?
- Yes: Treating the AI like a junior developer helps structure your prompts. You naturally explain context, give encouragement (“Good job, now fix the bug”), and set clear expectations. This “conversational context” actually improves the model’s performance.
- No: Thinking the AI “knows” what you mean without you saying it. It doesn’t have telepathy. It doesn’t have “common sense” outside of its training data.
The Danger of “Trust”
When we anthropomorphize, we tend to trust the AI too much. “He wouldn’t lie to me.”
- Reality Check: The AI is a probabilistic token predictor. It doesn’t “care” about you or your production database. It will happily suggest
DROP TABLEif that is the most likely next token.
Best Practice: “Professional Distance”
Treat the AI like a Remote Contractor who is brilliant but slightly drunk.
- Be polite (it helps the “vibe”).
- Be specific.
- Verify everything.
- Don’t attribute malice to hallucinations. It’s not “lying”; it’s just predicting noise.