Linus Torvalds on AI Controversy: Users Can Fork or Leave
Linux founder Linus Torvalds has addressed controversies surrounding the use of artificial intelligence in the project's development. He stated that objectors can either create their own version of the project or depart.
Linus Torvalds, the prominent figure behind the Linux operating system, has issued a strong stance on the ongoing debate regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the development of the Linux kernel. Torvalds declared that developers who do not approve of AI tools assisting in code review can either "fork" the project, creating an independent version, or leave.
The controversy was sparked by Sashiko, an AI-powered code review bot developed under the Linux Foundation with computing power provided by Google. The bot functions as a guardian process, monitoring mailing lists and identifying potential issues in code submissions.
Some long-time contributors have raised concerns about the quality of Sashiko's review suggestions, arguing that the AI generates numerous irrelevant or incorrect comments, increasing the workload for human maintainers. Conversely, others, such as Andrew Morton, support its deployment, citing data that indicates a significant number of valuable issues identified by the bot.
Torvalds defended the use of AI by stating that human intelligence also makes frequent mistakes. He emphasized that Linux is not inherently opposed to AI but rather sees it as a tool to aid in bug detection. For those who disagree with this approach, Torvalds suggested that their options are to fork the project or to leave.