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Torvalds says AI is now genuinely useful for Linux maintainers.
Linux 6.18 was the kind of release he likes: boring and stable.
Torvalds is calmer now, but some things still make him testy.
At Open Source Summit Japan in Tokyo, Torvalds shared his latest thoughts on AI.
It has only been a few weeks since Linus Torvalds, creator of Linux and Git, and his longtime friend, Dirk Hohndel, Verizon's head of open-source programs, discussed AI, Linux, and open source. Since then, Torvalds has had new experiences with AI, which have made him more positive about using AI with Linux than ever before.
When asked about the impact of AI and large language models (LLM), Torvalds said there are already "tons of tools for checking code," and one of the main topics at the upcoming Kernel Maintainer Summit will be "expanding our tooling and our policies when it comes to using AI for tooling."
Also: Linus Torvalds warns Linux devs: Stop cluttering patches with automated, useless links
While what exactly that will mean is still up in the air, it's clear that some AI tools will be blessed for use by developers and maintainers. That said, he still dislikes the buzzword-heavy hype: "I hate the whole subject of AI, not because I hate AI, but because it's being such a hype word." Nevertheless, he called himself "a huge believer in AI as a tool."
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