Torvalds: Linux is not anti-AI — critics can fork it and walk away

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Linus Torvalds asserts Linux developers can make their own mind up about using AI

Anti-AI developers can "fork it" and go elsewhere, he says

AI should be used to help developers, Torvalds emphasises

Linux creator Linus Torvalds has ultimately concluded that, while developers won't be discouraged from using AI tools to help with their coding needs, artificial intelligence shall not be mandatory and nobody is being forced to use it.

"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," he said in a kernel mailing list update.

Torvalds himself doesn't actively advocate either way, acknowledging that the tech is more of a tool than an ideology and that proven use cases have helped solidify its uses, despite questionable economics, environmental impacts and long-term consequences.

Torvalds tells AI haters to "fork it"

Torvalds added that he also knows that AI can create serious issues for maintainers, with AI-assisted submissions increasing workloads, producing noise and potential duplication, and generally adding more workload for humans.

Speaking about AI's role in developer workflows, Torvalds criticized some for burying their heads in the sand and ignoring its impact. "The solution is to make sure those LLM tools _help_ maintainers instead of just causing them pain," he stressed.

In his message, Torvalds also rejected perfection as the standard, admitting that "natural intelligence" can be just as prone to mistakes as artificial intelligence.

The open-source project, then, is not a "some kind of 'social warrior' project" used to debate the relevance of artificial intelligence, with Torvalds welcoming all manner of viewpoints and contributions from developers regardless of whether they use AI assistance.

"The kernel project has been and will continue to be about the technology," he concluded.