The day when AI It’s not completely polarizing, it seems like it will never come, and there is a clear division between those who are for it and those who are against it.
This drama has now spread to linux kernel, prompting a long and firm response from its creator, Linus Torvalds (via GamesOnLinux).
It emerged as a topic referencing the use of AI and a tool called “Sashiko” to patch change agents in the Linux kernel. Then Torvalds swoops in to put his foot down firmly.
The full transcript of his response is below:
“Yeah.
And no, that is not the position of the Linux kernel. I realize that some people really don’t like AI, but this is an area where I’m willing to put my foot down as a high-level maintainer.
Linux is not one of those anti-AI projects, and if someone has problems with that, they can make something open source and fork it.
Or just walk away.
AI is a tool, just like other tools we use. And it is clearly useful.
It may not have been so “clear” even just a year ago, but today it is no longer in doubt.
There are other questions surrounding AI (like what its economy will actually be like in the end), but “is it useful” is no longer one of those questions? Anyone who doubts this clearly hasn’t used it.
Yes, it can also be a somewhat painful tool, both for maintainer workloads and just from a “keeps finding embarrassing bugs” standpoint.
But the solution is not to stick your head in the sand and sing “La La La, I can’t hear you” at the top of your lungs like some people seem to do.
The solution is to make sure those LLM tools _help_ maintainers instead of just causing them pain. There is no doubt on that side.
We’re not forcing anyone to use it, but I will loudly ignore people who try to argue against other people not using it.
And no, AI is not perfect. But Christ, anyone who points out the problems with AI better look in the mirror and point it out at themselves at the same time.
Because it’s not like natural intelligence is always so good.
The kernel project has been and will continue to be about technology.
Sure, the social angle of working on open source is important and often a very motivating part of the project, but in the end that is a secondary benefit, not the goal of the project.
This is *NOT* some kind of “social warrior” project, it never has been and never will be.
In the kernel community we open source because it results in better technology, not for religious reasons.
And that’s why we make decisions based primarily on technical merit. Without fear of new tools.
Linen”
I can already see the gallows going up, but let’s take a step back. While Torvalds seems to be showing some muscle, if you read closely, he really isn’t either. advocating for AI.
“AI is a tool… And clearly useful.” There is no ideology behind this. You’re not suddenly saying that the Linux kernel will be built using AI. What’s more, if it can be used to improve certain parts of the process, then it will be.
And as he says, human intelligence isn’t exactly perfect, is it?
It is a complicated topic and will surely provoke some discussion. Linux is where many of the most serious enthusiasts go, and many simply have a fundamental opposition to AI. I’m not going to go into that because it’s exhausting and we’ve been going round and round on the subject.
However, I like Torvalds’ approach in approaching this topic. Unlike, say, Microsoft, there are no commercial interests to push or bank accounts to increase by pushing the general public to use AI. There is also an alternative; If you don’t like it, you can fork it and make your own. There are already many custom kernels in Linux.
He’s just being pragmatic. The genie is free from the lamp; AI is here and ignoring it is simply not an option. Everyone can have their own opinion, but as he himself states, Linux is not a “social warrior” project. They’re simply trying to create the best software, and increasingly, that will mean people taking advantage of AI. Whether you like it or not.
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