Google exec taught his kids AI and now they're vibe coding

Asif Saleem, a Google lead for financial services in Japan and the Asia Pacific, introduced his 13-year-old son Usman and 18-year-old daughter Shanzey to AI after returning from a demo. Their interest grew quickly, and they enrolled in a vibe coding course together.

Saleem had joined "Code with AI" weekend sessions for executives to try tools like Cursor and built a statement analyzer for a financial system. He showed the demo at home, and a few weeks later his children — the youngest in the class — participated independently, even joining Cursor's 24-hour weekend hackathon in Singapore.

Vibe coding has made them more curious and creative. Neither child has a formal software background, but both have learned to think through ideas and use technology to solve problems. Saleem also stresses guardrails: a reward system limits Usman's gaming to chores and goals, Shanzey must produce original work for school, and physical activities like football remain important alongside digital skills.

Japan, Singapore

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