Now, thanks to AI, the game’s changed. With “vibe coding”—a term coined by AI researcher and OpenAI founding member Andrej Karpathy—I can build apps just by talking to AI. You still need to be aware of app dev essentials like security and performance, but the ability to go from idea to prototype just by describing what you want? Feels like magic.

Over the past few months, I’ve been vibe coding nonstop. It’s addictive.

I’m sharing what I’m building to document the process, starting with this small app I created to solve a real expat problem for myself.

I live in Japan but get paid in U.S. dollars, so I’m always checking exchange rates, wondering, “Should I buy yen today or wait?” I’m no currency expert—but AI can be. So I built an app that uses AI to forecast the USD/JPY exchange rate for the next few days, with live rate updates built in. It’s still a v0.1 beta, but it works. We’ll see how accurate the AI is over time.

I built this first version using Replit AI, but I’ve also been vibe coding with a few other tools—more on those soon. So far, Replit and Lovable are my favorites, but there are plenty out there, and choosing just one isn’t easy—nor should you at this point. There’s strength in using multiple tools, something I plan to write more about soon.

The Replit link above is my affiliate link—every user gets one. If you sign up, I’ll earn some credits to keep building. I only share tools I actually use and like.

This isn’t a full review, but I’ll say this: Replit has become one of my go-to platforms for vibe coding, and I recommend it to anyone curious about building with AI.

As always, your mileage may vary, so use what’s helpful. Discard the rest.

Follow along—this is just the start of the vibe coding series.

#ai #vibecodingseries

I’ve always had images and illustrations in my head, it’s just how I see the world. But drawing share-worthy illustrations takes time, and I often want a visual to go with a thought, either for my personal journal or even for my blog.

We’re now at a point where I can do a quick sketch on paper, take a photo, upload it to ChatGPT, and it will draw it for me. Maybe I’m overly excited, but I LOVE THIS.

Yesterday I was talking to my designer friend Henry about how this feature can elevate visual communication, especially for presentations and content creation. To show him, I grabbed a pen, sketched out a rough idea, and uploaded it directly from my phone while we were talking.

A drew a very rough stick figure with a bow, aiming an arrow at a target. Basic but clear. I then took a photo of the drawing with my phone, uploaded to ChatGPT and entered the prompt below;

Initial rough sketch.

Prompt #1: “Create a minimalist illustration of this drawing showing a person shooting an arrow from a bow at a target.”

Which gave me a pretty clean version of my rough sketch. I think ChatGPT did an awesome job of creating a clean, simple, black-and-white line illustration.

Simple shapes. Clean composition. The sketch was transformed into something presentable for a concept slide or UX wireframe.

I then added one more simple prompt to get a more polished graphic visual.

Prompt #2: “Ok, now make this a creative design graphic.”

Result: It elevated the idea with style—flat design, warm colors, bold shapes. The archer became a stylized figure. The target popped. The whole piece looked like it belonged in a polished brand presentation or digital publication.

This wasn’t about making perfect art, and the sky is the limit for what you can do with this workflow. It was about expressing an idea fast—and clearly.

This kind of flow helps: • Designers ideate and iterate faster, think thumbnails to draft outlines. • Executives or sales teams who need visuals for their presentations. • Writers and marketers create quick visuals to pair with messaging. • Developers or PMs translate whiteboard sketches into diagrams. • Educators and speakers visualize their teaching points on the fly.

Even something like: “Turn this sketch into a Mermaid diagram.” …or “Convert this to a UI wireframe with callouts.” is totally doable with the right follow-up prompt.

While an artist could do much more here, you don’t need to be an artist to think visually. You just need the right tools to bridge your imagination and output.

Rough Sketch it. Snap it. Prompt it. Polish it. Use it.

As always, your mileage may vary, so use what’s helpful. Discard the rest.✌️

#ai #aigeneratedillustration #chatgpt #prompts

Written by a creative technologist, photographer, and an evolving human living in Japan—enhanced (and tangled) by technology.

Technology alone doesn’t drive progress — people + tech do. I think hard-earned human wisdom paired with intelligent tools like AI will be unstoppable. —The TEKnologist

For years, technology favored the fast, the young, the fluent.

But everything is changing.

With the rise of AI, the playing field is shifting.

The advantage isn’t in knowing the tools—it’s in knowing what matters.

Life experience. Perspective. Judgment.

These aren’t soft skills anymore — when combined with AI, they’re superpowers.

As always, your mileage may vary, so use what’s helpful. Discard the rest.✌️

#ai #technology #thinkingoutloud

Written by a creative technologist, photographer, and an evolving human living in Japan—enhanced (and tangled) by technology.

AIREC can already perform tasks such as repositioning patients—a critical function for preventing bedsores and diaper changes. It Can also assists with daily activities like cooking and laundry.

Learn more about AIREC in the video below

As always, your mileage may vary, so use what’s helpful. Discard the rest.✌️

#ai #healthcare #japan #robotics #technology

Written by a creative technologist, photographer, and an evolving human living in Japan—enhanced (and tangled) by technology.

As someone who has always been more visual, I don't personally find this evolution uncomfortable, but I recognize that many might. Paradoxically, Everett touches on a feeling I can relate to—guilt over not picking up a traditional book and instead consuming content via audio or video.

Watch the TED Talk here

While I don’t believe reading and writing will disappear entirely, I do think they may become skills reserved for a small percentage of society, much like how literacy was once limited to the elite.

As always, your mileage may vary, so use what’s helpful. Discard the rest. ✌️

#ai #thinkingoutloud #technology

Written by a creative technologist, photographer, and an evolving human living in Japan—enhanced (and tangled) by technology.

TheTEKnologist.com

As always, your mileage may vary, so use what’s helpful. Discard the rest. ✌️

#ai #technology #thinkingoutloud

Written by a creative technologist, photographer, and an evolving human living in Japan—enhanced (and tangled) by technology.