AI Coding Assistants Are Getting Powerful — But Are They Safe?

No-code, low-code, and AI-assisted coding tools are unlocking a new era of software development.

Startups, solopreneurs, and even non-coders can now go from idea → working app without ever opening a terminal. That’s not science fiction — it’s platforms like Lovable.dev, Bolt.new, Firebase Studio, and Replit at work.

These tools promise a new kind of speed: describe your idea, and the AI generates a full-stack app with UI, database, and backend. Magic? Almost.

But not all platforms are created equal. And not all generated apps are production-ready.

🔍 What These Tools Actually Do

Each platform comes with a different vibe:

• Lovable.dev: Speak to an AI “super dev” and watch a React/Supabase app appear in minutes. No coding needed.

• Bolt.new: Build and run a full-stack JS app in your browser using Claude AI. Ideal for web developers who want to tinker.

• Firebase Studio: Google’s take on “vibe coding.” Uses Gemini AI to scaffold Firebase-ready apps with Next.js.

• Replit: A cloud IDE with Ghostwriter AI — great for those learning to code, needing autocompletion, bug fixes, and rapid iteration.

Each has its own strengths in speed, flexibility, and support for different stacks. And I explored all four. Here's what I learned.

🧵 Key Lessons

1. You can build more in a weekend now than most could in a month — if you know what to ask the AI.

2. Fast prototyping is here — but shipping something stable is still hard.

3. These tools work best for MVPs, quick iterations, or side projects.

4. Debugging, integrations, and scaling? Still needs you.

5. And the biggest one: security is often an afterthought.

⚠️ The Hidden Cost: Security Gaps

While these AI builders are fast and fun, here’s the hard truth:
None of them are security-first out of the box.

Whether it’s:

• Exposing API keys in public repos

• AI-generated auth flows missing validation

• Insecure default endpoints

• Unclear data handling policies

… you’ll quickly realize speed comes with risk.

Most platforms do not guarantee safe defaults, especially if you’re handling user data. You need to know what’s happening under the hood — or risk building an app that looks polished but leaks data.

🔒 Next Issue: How to Secure AI-Generated Apps

I’ll break down:

• What to check before going live

• Red flags to watch out for in generated code

• How to secure APIs, auth, and user data

• Smart defaults every builder should use

Whether you’re using Lovable, Firebase Studio, or Bolt, this will help you ship faster without risking your users’ trust.

Hit reply if you’ve run into security issues building with AI — I’d love to include some real-world lessons in the next issue.

Until then, keep building — and don’t forget: vibe code ≠ secure code.

Stay curious,
Abhishek Sisodia
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