Linus Torvalds is known for blunt opinions, and his latest comments on artificial intelligence leave little room for interpretation.
Writing on the official Linux kernel mailing list, Torvalds pushed back against developers who oppose the use of large language models (LLMs) in Linux development, making it clear that the Linux kernel is not an anti-AI project.
His message was simple: if someone fundamentally disagrees with that direction, they are free to fork the kernel or contribute elsewhere.
The comments also reflect how Torvalds’ view of AI has evolved. In 2024, he famously described AI as “90% marketing and 10% reality.” While he still believes the technology is overhyped in many areas, he now sees practical value in AI-assisted software development when used responsibly.
Rather than debating whether AI belongs in open-source development, Torvalds believes the focus should be on whether it helps developers produce better code.
AI Is Becoming Another Tool for Linux Developers
Torvalds urged developers to treat AI like any other development tool. He said developers don’t have to use LLMs, but they also shouldn’t stop others from using them when they improve productivity or code quality.
He has previously acknowledged using AI for personal coding projects and argues that open-source development has always embraced tools that make programmers more efficient.
From his perspective, rejecting AI on ideological grounds serves little purpose when the technology is already becoming part of modern software engineering workflows.
That doesn’t mean Torvalds is giving AI a free pass. Earlier this year, he criticized contributors who submitted AI-generated bug reports and patches that created unnecessary work for kernel maintainers instead of solving meaningful issues. His concern is not the use of AI itself, but the quality of the output developers submit.
Results Matter More Than Ideology
Torvalds’ position ultimately comes down to pragmatism. AI-generated code can be flawed, but so can code written entirely by humans. What matters is whether contributions meet the Linux kernel’s standards through review, testing, and discussion.
His “fork it or leave” response also reinforces a long-standing open-source principle. Developers can always create an alternative project with different rules, but the Linux kernel’s maintainers will continue to guide the mainline project based on practical engineering decisions rather than ideological debates.
As AI tools become increasingly common across software development, Linux maintainers will continue filtering poor-quality automated contributions while accepting improvements that genuinely benefit the project.
Torvalds’ latest comments show that the Linux ecosystem no longer treats AI as an experiment. Instead, developers now see it as another tool they should use responsibly.
Source: TechSpot, "Linus Torvalds Tells Anti-AI Critics to Fork Linux or Walk Away"
