Spec-Driven Development (SDD), which builds AI apps starting from a written "spec" rather than from prompts, is emerging as a new current in AI coding, backed by tool launches from major players including Microsoft, AWS and GitHub.
Sept 2025 · AI Coding
Spec-Driven Development: The Spec Becomes the Source of Truth
Instead of vibe coding — generating code instantly from vague prompts — AI agents build apps from detailed specifications, treating the spec as the primary artifact shared between humans and AI.
Vibe Coding
Vague prompt → instant code
Fast for prototypes, but intent drift, compile errors & low maintainability.
vs
Spec-Driven Development
Detailed spec → verified build
Spec as shared source of truth — reduces the AI's guessing.
GitHub Spec Kit — the five-stage workflow
Humans verify and refine at each phase — not one-shot generation.
Constitution
Immutable principles
→
Specify
UX & requirements
→
Plan
Stack & architecture
→
→
Three representative tools
GitHub Spec Kit
Open source · Sept 2025
Five-stage workflow with the specify command.
Kiro
Tool / framework
Requirements (Given-When-Then) → Design → Tasks, VS Code-based.
Tessl
Beta
Spec as primary artifact; code annotated "GENERATED FROM SPEC," regenerated by editing the spec.
Where it shines
Complex feature additions & legacy modernization
Try variations just by updating the spec
High marks for large projects & team use
The concerns
Heavy workflow — overkill for small bug fixes
Ambiguity & non-determinism yield varying results
Hard to adopt into existing codebases
Through 2025–2026, SDD is becoming established as a software development approach for the AI era.
Featured in the Thoughtworks Technology Radar and in DeepLearning.AI's course "Spec-Driven Development with Coding Agents," with educational and practical content on the rise.
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