A 13-year-old and his 18-year-old sister are challenging the notion that age determines tech expertise, joining seasoned professionals in mastering vibe coding—a revolutionary approach to building AI-powered applications through prompting rather than traditional programming.
Usman Asif, just 13, and his sister Shanzey Asif, 18, attended a weekend vibe coding class in Singapore where they were surrounded by experienced tech executives from companies like Google, Oracle, and Amazon. Despite being the youngest participants, both siblings successfully built functional AI applications by the end of the two-day course. Usman created an AI-powered sports coach, while Shanzey developed a website helping astronomy enthusiasts track planetary visibility.
Their journey into AI began through their father, Asif Saleem, a Google financial services go-to-market lead for Japan and Asia Pacific. After attending a vibe coding class in June and building a financial statement analyzer, he inspired his children to explore the technology. Vibe coding, which involves prompting AI to generate code rather than writing it manually, proved accessible even to teenagers with limited coding experience.
Shanzey initially found the experience intimidating, surrounded by executives with coding backgrounds. However, she quickly discovered that prompting drives the entire process, eliminating the need for traditional coding knowledge. “This is great. I didn’t even have to do any coding,” she said after completing her space website.
Usman’s experience was more challenging, encountering multiple bugs that “drove him crazy.” Through persistence, he learned to understand different bug types and craft effective prompts to resolve them. Both siblings emphasize that detailed, well-structured prompts are crucial—“You have to instruct the AI like a teacher to a student,” Usman explained.
The family took their skills further by participating in Cursor’s 24-hour hackathon in Singapore in October, competing alongside hundreds of adult participants. Working together for 12 hours straight, they built an AI-powered university guidance counselor to help Shanzey choose her future college. Though they didn’t win, the experience became a memorable family achievement.
Important guardrails remain in place: the siblings cannot use AI for school content creation, and screen time is managed through a reward system. Both teens see AI as integral to their futures, with Shanzey planning to incorporate it into potential careers in law or psychology, while Usman considers full-time AI app development.
Key Quotes
I was surrounded by people much older than me, with more experience in technology. But I felt age is just a number.
Usman Asif, 13, explained his mindset entering a vibe coding class filled with experienced tech professionals. This quote captures the democratizing effect of AI tools that enable young people to compete with seasoned experts.
This is great. I didn’t even have to do any coding.
Shanzey Asif, 18, expressed her surprise after successfully building a space website through vibe coding. This highlights how AI-powered development tools are eliminating traditional coding barriers and making app creation accessible to non-programmers.
Prompts are supposed to have good details and good information. You have to instruct the AI like a teacher to a student.
Usman Asif described the key to successful vibe coding, emphasizing that detailed, well-structured prompts are essential. This insight reveals that effective AI usage requires clear communication skills rather than technical programming knowledge.
Regardless of what I end up doing, I think AI will always be a part of my life. If I go into law or psychology or something like that, I think AI will be a huge contributor to that.
Shanzey Asif shared her vision of AI’s role in her future career, demonstrating how young people view AI as a universal tool that will permeate all professions, not just technical fields.
Our Take
This story represents a pivotal moment in AI accessibility and education. The fact that a 13-year-old can build functional AI applications alongside Google executives signals that we’re entering an era where ideation and problem-solving matter more than technical coding skills. Vibe coding essentially transforms AI into a collaborative partner rather than a tool requiring specialized knowledge.
What’s particularly noteworthy is the family’s balanced approach—embracing AI’s potential while maintaining strict boundaries around academic integrity and screen time. This model could serve as a blueprint for other families navigating AI adoption. The siblings’ emphasis on detailed prompting and systematic thinking suggests that AI tools are teaching valuable meta-skills: clear communication, structured problem-solving, and iterative refinement. These competencies will prove valuable regardless of their eventual career paths, making vibe coding an educational tool beyond just app development. The democratization of AI development may fundamentally reshape who becomes a creator in the digital economy.
Why This Matters
This story highlights the democratization of AI development and how vibe coding is lowering barriers to entry for app creation. The fact that teenagers with minimal coding experience can build functional AI applications alongside seasoned tech executives demonstrates a fundamental shift in how software development works.
The accessibility of AI-powered coding tools like Cursor represents a significant trend in the tech industry: technical skills are being redefined. Traditional programming knowledge is becoming less critical than the ability to craft effective prompts and think systematically about problem-solving. This has profound implications for education and workforce development, suggesting that future generations may approach technology creation entirely differently.
The family’s approach also illustrates responsible AI adoption, with clear boundaries around academic integrity and screen time. As AI tools become more powerful and accessible, establishing these guardrails becomes increasingly important. The story demonstrates that AI literacy is becoming a family skill, much like computer literacy became in previous generations, with potential to reshape how young people prepare for future careers across all industries.