>> where writing code can sometimes be delegated to AI, and is arguably less important than understanding what the customer really wants from this software.

This statement is a monstrosity, and the reason why real software engineers know vibe coding will fail. It is fundamental misunderstanding of thinking that that the intellectual work consists of knowing what you want, and coding is merely the mechanical labor of making it happen.

The coding is the intellectual work!

Its where the actual problems are discovered, where the difficult decisions are made, where vague ideas become precise, and where solutions are invented. There is not such thing as a fully formed solution waiting to be translated into code. :-)

Again just the modern variation of the idea guy who goes around saying I have a genius idea for a new startup...I just need some Developers to implement it ....