Reid Hoffman Uses Replit to Build LinkedIn Clone with One Prompt

Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, recently ran an experiment with AI tools. He asked Replit—a platform known for its coding and AI capabilities—to “clone LinkedIn” using a single prompt. The result was a surprisingly functional prototype, showcasing the potential of today’s AI to turn ideas into working software.

Hoffman explained, “ I asked Replit to “clone LinkedIn” — just to see how far it would get with a single prompt. The result? A surprisingly functional prototype. It’s a powerful reminder: with the right framing, today’s AI tools can turn a single idea into working software.”

Replit is currently in talks to raise fresh capital at a valuation nearing $3 billion—almost triple its previous worth—reflecting strong investor confidence in AI-driven software development.

In September, Replit launched an AI agent that not only writes code but also deploys software, making it one of the first platforms to offer this capability. Tech insiders see this as a glimpse into the future, where AI agents operate like junior developers, working alongside humans with minimal supervision.

Replit CEO Amjad Masad recently said that learning to code may no longer be necessary. On X, he reshared a video clip in which he agrees with Anthropic’s Dario Amodei, who predicted that most future code will be AI-generated. Amodei predicted that AI could be writing up to 90% of all code within the next six months.

“In the upcase, like what Dario just said recently, all code will be AI-generated,” said Masad. “On the optimisation path we’re on—where agents keep getting better—it would be a waste of time to learn how to code. But different people will make different assumptions.”

He’s not alone in this outlook. Google’s Sundar Pichai said AI now writes a quarter of the company’s new code. At OpenAI, Sam Altman revealed that AI handles half the coding work in some companies—and according to chief product officer Kevin Weil, AI may soon outpace humans in writing code altogether. This rise in AI-assisted coding has also popularised a new trend,  vibe coding, a term coined by OpenAI co-founder Andrej Karpathy.

Vibe coding lets developers focus on high-level intent, leaving AI tools to handle most of the implementation. Developers describe outcomes in natural language, while the AI generates, refines, and tests code autonomously.