Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux, has publicly endorsed the use of AI tools in kernel development, stating that Linux is not an anti-AI project. In an email to the Linux kernel mailing list, Torvalds emphasized that decisions in the kernel project are based on technical merit, not fear of new tools. He encouraged those who disagree to 'fork it' or 'walk away' from the project. Torvalds' comments were prompted by criticism from developer Roman Gushchin, who pointed out a 'very anti-LLM position in general' that was undermining Sashiko's goal of making maintainers' work easier. The statement comes amid a debate over Sashiko, an AI-powered code review system for the Linux kernel. Sashiko uses prompts tailored to the kernel and its own protocol to automatically review proposed code changes. The tool can import patches directly from mailing lists or local Git repositories and works with various LLM providers. It's a Linux Foundation project. Torvalds acknowledged the anti-LLM stance of some people involved but made clear it doesn't represent the Linux kernel's position. AI is 'clearly a useful one,' he said, even if that had been less obvious a year ago. 'Anybody who doubts that clearly hasn't actually used it,' Torvalds wrote. He acknowledged that AI could also be 'painful,' such as creating extra work for maintainers or finding 'embarrassing bugs.' But the answer isn't to 'put your head in the sand and sing 'La La La, I can't hear you' at the top of your voice.' AI isn't perfect, Torvalds said, but neither is human intelligence. No one is forced to use it. He will, however, 'very loudly ignore' people who try to talk others out of using it. The kernel project makes decisions based on technical merits. 'Not fear of new tools.' A guide for kernel maintainers on working with Sashiko is available on GitHub.
Source: thedecoder
