Post #3852883

2026-07-16 07:06 UTC

Damn. This quote from Linus Torvalds is... well... damning. In response to a discussion around use of generative AI as it relates to contributions to the Linux code base, Linus (creator and lead contributor to Linux) firmly states that AI contributions are welcome. But then he goes on and concludes with this: "The kernel project has been and will continue to be about the 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's a side benefit, not the _point_ of the project. This is *NOT* some kind of "social warrior" project, never has been, and never will be. In the kernel community we do open source because it results in better technology, not because of religious reasons. And so we make decisions primarily based on technical merit. Not fear of new tools. Linus" A lot of us are on Linux specifically because of the social and political positives. Closed source is control. Open source is democracy. Linus doing the typical tech-bro "i don't think of politics, I only think of tech" harkens back to any number of "science without ethics" atrocities. Linus is and has always been a tech-bro (or proto tech bro). He has his throne of power and is happy where he is. Other tech-bros want money and influence. They're all the same. But Linus is wrong. Tech is politics. And his stance and guiding influence with Linux is wrong. Linus just made a political statement and has shifted the politics and societal approach of Linux. Source: https://lore.kernel.org/linux-media/CAHk-=wi4zC+Ze8e+p3tMv8TtG_80KzsZ1syL9anBtmEh5Z40vg@mail.gmail.com/ #linux #solarPunk #Linus #AI #openSource

Replies (16)

@alxd@writing.exchange 2026-07-16 07:09

@tinker@infosec.exchange this has always been a difference between Open Source and Free Software.

Open ##3852882
@Llevickas@mastodon.social 2026-07-16 07:24

@tinker@infosec.exchange tech is politics same way cooking is politics. Your Linux fancy correlates to your views, but thats not because Linux is political as much as you view it.

Open ##3853264
@landelare@mastodon.gamedev.place 2026-07-16 08:44

@tinker@infosec.exchange Linux was taken over by tech corporations eons ago. Remember when it wouldn't update to GPL3 because that would've broken DRM? Pepperidge Farm remembers.

Open ##3856750
@mahadevank@mastodon.social 2026-07-16 09:23

@tinker@infosec.exchange oh boy, time to fork the linux project eh? Gosh, what do we have left

Open ##3857334
@kelleynnn@mas.to 2026-07-16 07:09

@tinker@infosec.exchange 😡

Open ##3857896
@dedicto@zeroes.ca 2026-07-16 12:01

@tinker@infosec.exchange This amoral techbro statement about #Linux and #AI by #Linus is worthy of Wernher von Braun. As satirized by Tom Lehrer: "Once rockets are up who cares where they come down? That's not my department", says Wernher von Braun.

Open ##3858540
@burnoutqueen@todon.nl 2026-07-16 12:25

@tinker@infosec.exchange The problem is that LLMs have no technical merit for the purpose. Linus is allowing right wing corporate politics to pollute his brain

Open ##3859315
@grono@mastodon.com.pl 2026-07-16 13:36

@tinker@infosec.exchange It's simply not feasible for a project of such scale to remain AI-free anymore. There's no going back, whether you like it or not.

Open ##3859651
@aardvark@ioc.exchange 2026-07-16 14:44

@tinker@infosec.exchange I’m trying to understand something that seems unspoken here. Is the fundamental issue a premise that AI is evil, therefore anyone who doesn’t reject it is corrupt? I’m seriously just trying to make sure I understand what I’m reading.

Open ##3862564
@silverwizard@convenient.email 2026-07-16 12:51

@tinker@infosec.exchange the fascinating thing here is that he's ignoring the technical merits to make a political statement. LLMs make bad code, but he's politicially aligned with them. It's silly, but, this is berzerk from every level. (Yes, LLMs are political, Linux is political, and the statement is dumb, but the other part is important)

Open ##3863766
@aardvark@ioc.exchange 2026-07-17 03:29

@tinker@infosec.exchange it is ironic and seeming un-self-aware to disclaim “social warrior” nearness when, c’mon, what is Linux if not a social warrior product?

Open ##3875103
@root42@chaos.social 2026-07-16 07:19

@tinker@infosec.exchange he is very open about the options though: „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.“ Which, in the end, is fine. I think LLMs are a Pandora‘s Box moment. We are not happy about it, but the genie is out of the bottle.

Open ##3879039
@anneoneam@mastodon.online 2026-07-17 07:21

@tinker@infosec.exchange It's not some new development. He has been focused on the technical side since basically forever.

Open ##3881214
@simonzerafa@infosec.exchange 2026-07-17 09:01

@tinker@infosec.exchange I can't see Linus being any more wrong on this. If he's ignoring the political and social aspects then that his decision but for thousands of people working on FLOSS that is the point. He's happy to do free work for billionaires and massive businesses? Also there is no aspects of human existence that isn't political.

Open ##3881312
@david@social.piconet.work 2026-07-17 11:00

@tinker@infosec.exchange Has he been encouraging people to fork the kernel because he knows it is difficult and thinks nobody has the will?

Open ##3884716
@cameo007@rheinneckar.social 2026-07-16 07:21

@tinker@infosec.exchange I mean if they ensure quality, it should be ok. AI code can be good, you have check it, but it can be. In the end he'll see when Linux is flooded by AI PRs. That's in my opinion the real problem, having these slop tsunamis, which is definitely social. Generally, you have to use it right. You have to know what you're doing. And no, I'm not completely pro AI, I don't use it on a regular basis, because I want to learn how to code myself, but lots of people let AI code whole projects or let it find bugs that don't exist and that's problematic.

Open ##3922572