Linus Torvalds commented on attempts to discuss the ban on the use of AI tools in the development of the Linux kernel. The official position is that the Linux kernel as a project is not against the use of AI. AI is seen as a tool that makes working on code easier, just like any other tool. The use of AI is a personal matter for each developer, and the factor in accepting changes is the quality of the code, and not what tools were used to create this code.
For those who are dissatisfied with such a policy or trying to impose on others a ban on the use of AI tools, Linus recommended creating their own fork of the kernel or stopping participation in development. According to Linus, a year ago the use of AI in development could raise questions, but now the benefits of AI have become obvious and only those who have not used modern AI tools can deny this. No one in the kernel community is forcing others to use AI, but attempts to discourage others from using AI will be discouraged.
The Linux kernel remains a technical project and decisions around it are made based on technical merit rather than fear of new things. Core is not a social justice warrior project, never has been, and never will be. The social aspect of working on open source is seen as an important and motivating part of the project, but it is more of a side effect than the purpose of the project’s existence. The kernel is developed as an open source project not for religious reasons, but because this model leads to the creation of better technologies.
In continuation of the discussion, Linus advised impose their ethical standards on other people and compared the use of AI to vegetarianism – among the core developers there are vegetarians who have different reasons for not eating meat (social, religious, ethical, taste), but they do not expect all other developers to become vegetarians because of their personal position. It’s the same with the adoption of AI.
For opponents of AI trying to invoke ethics, Linus advised them to