Linus Torvalds, creator and top-level maintainer of the Linux kernel, defended the use of AI-powered coding tools in Linux development in a post on the Linux kernel mailing list this week. Torvalds stated he is "willing to absolutely put my foot down" in support of AI tools, declaring that "Linux is not one of those anti-AI projects." The statement came during a discussion about Sashiko, an AI-powered code review system that has sparked debate over whether maintainers should receive automated bug reports. The controversy reflects a broader split in the open source community between those integrating AI tools into workflows and those who reject LLM-generated code entirely.
Torvalds Declares Linux Open to AI Tools
In a lengthy post on the Linux kernel mailing list, Torvalds stated point-blank that "Linux is not one of those anti-AI projects, and if somebody has issues with that, they can do the open-source thing and fork it. Or just walk away." Torvalds said he rejects those who demand their open source projects not accept any LLM-generated code or revisions. "We're not forcing anybody to use [LLM tools], but I will very loudly ignore people who try to argue against other people from using it," Torvalds said.
Sashiko Tool Sparks Maintainer Debate
The statement came amid a thread arguing about the use of Sashiko, an "agentic Linux kernel code review system." The tool's creators claim it can, in tests, independently find 53.6 percent of the bugs that would end up being fixed by human coders in later commits. The tool can also waste maintainers' time by sending "false positive" reports of bugs that don't exist, at a rate Sashiko's maintainers estimate is "well within [the] 20% range." The discussion centered on whether maintainers should be subjected to a flood of these kinds of automated, AI-powered bug report emails.
Software Freedom Conservancy Issues AI Statement
One poster in the discussion cited the Software Freedom Conservancy's recent statement that the open source community "should support, not just tolerate, those who outright reject LLM-gen-AI systems" and that "every FOSS contributor deserves self-determination regarding LLM-gen-AI." Torvalds' response directly rejected this position for the Linux kernel project.
FAQ
What did Linus Torvalds say about AI tools in Linux development?
Linus Torvalds stated in a post on the Linux kernel mailing list this week that "Linux is not one of those anti-AI projects" and that critics can "fork it" or "walk away." He said he is "willing to absolutely put my foot down" in support of using AI tools and will "very loudly ignore people who try to argue against other people from using it."
What is Sashiko and why is it controversial?
Sashiko is an "agentic Linux kernel code review system" that its creators claim can independently find 53.6 percent of bugs in tests that would later be fixed by human coders. The tool is controversial because it also generates false positive bug reports at a rate estimated to be "well within [the] 20% range," potentially wasting maintainers' time with automated emails about non-existent bugs.
