GoKawiilLinus Torvalds says he relies on AI tools to aid his Linux programming work
At Open Source Summit Europe, Linux creator Linus Torvalds told Dirk Hohndel that he enjoys using AI as a programming tool, particularly for tasks he is less skilled at himself. He cautioned that AI should be used carefully for serious kernel work, noting he mainly acts as a maintainer rather than writing core code. Torvalds also said AI can help new developers rediscover the enjoyment of programming and has become useful for finding and fixing bugs in the Linux kernel.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
Torvalds' comments mark a notable contrast to resistance from parts of the open-source community, such as System76's recent ban on AI-generated contributions to its COSMIC desktop. His remarks suggest AI adoption in major open-source projects may be more nuanced than a simple embrace-or-reject divide, balancing productivity gains against risks of overwhelming maintainers with low-quality AI-generated patches.
- Torvalds says he uses AI to assist with programming tasks he finds difficult.
- He warns AI should be used cautiously for critical, 'real' kernel work.
- AI is already helping identify and fix bugs within the Linux kernel.
Source: zdnet.com — Steven Vaughan-Nichols, 2026-10-09
Published there as: “‘I use AI to do the things that I’m bad at’: Linus Torvalds on why it works for him”
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