Linux's Torvalds on AI: use it with competence, not as a shortcut for code slop

Kernel maintainers drop the 'Assisted-by' tag requirement, but quality standards remain hard

By LineZotpaper

Published23 October 2026

Read Time3 min

Linus Torvalds has affirmed his support for experienced developers using AI to write Linux kernel code while cautioning against what he calls 'drive-by patches' from people who lack understanding of the code. The kernel maintainers have decided to deprecate the requirement to tag AI-assisted submissions, according to developer Sasha Levin speaking at the Linux Kernel Maintainers Summit in Prague.

Linus Torvalds is embracing AI tools for Linux kernel development, drawing criticism from some corners of the open-source community while arguing that the technology is a net positive when used by competent programmers.

Roy Schestowitz, editor of Tux Machines, described Torvalds' stance as 'Linus Torvalds Turns to Slop.' In the podcast Pivot to AI, podcaster David Gerard said 'Linux kernel goes full AI slop code.' Commenters on Tom's Hardware also voiced skepticism, with one user writing that the move was 'a publicity stunt from his AI overlords [The Linux Foundation].'

Despite the backlash, Torvalds told The Register in a note that the argument against using AI for commit messages is 'well-intentioned, but I think it's entirely misguided. I really think we want competent people to use AI as a tool.' He said the real problem is 'clueless people using AI' who generate drive-by patches without engaging with the kernel community. He said he wants to discourage that, not people who use AI and 'truly want to learn.'

At the Open Source Summit Europe, Torvalds described 'vibe-coding' as 'a wonderful way to find joy in programming' and 'a gateway drug' to programming.

Long-time kernel maintainer Greg Kroah-Hartman told The Register the quality of AI-generated reports has improved. He said months ago the project received what they called 'AI slop', obviously wrong or low quality security reports. Then, 'something happened a month ago, and the world switched. Now we have real reports.' He said all open source projects are now receiving good, real AI-generated reports.

The deprecation of the 'Assisted-by' tag was announced by developer Sasha Levin at the Linux Kernel Maintainers Summit. The change was described as the maintainers' decision.

Torvalds acknowledged two distinct 'AI problems' with the kernel: a large codebase where AI finds real bugs, adding to the workload of already-overworked maintainers; and people who use AI to generate patches without understanding the code. He argued these are not problems with AI itself but problems 'exposed by AI.' He said the underlying issue is how people misuse AI, not the technology itself.

Red Hat's director of software engineering, Christian F.K. Schaller, created an open-source project called hw-harness that uses AI to reverse-engineer Windows drivers for Linux more easily. The project automates slow manual methods of figuring out how hardware behaves, potentially easing the development of Linux hardware drivers.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The policy change by kernel maintainers signals that AI-assisted code is becoming normalised in one of the world's most critical open-source projects.
Torvalds' distinction between competent use and drive-by patches sets a de facto standard for how other open-source projects may approach AI contributions.
The volume of good AI-generated bug reports is already straining maintainers, raising questions about project sustainability.

Background

Linux is the world's largest open-source software project, with thousands of contributors and maintainers worldwide. Torvalds has historically maintained strict quality standards for code submissions. AI coding tools have grown rapidly in capability and adoption over the past two years, prompting debates across the software industry about their reliability, copyright implications, and impact on developer skill development. The kernel project previously required contributors to tag AI-assisted patches with an 'Assisted-by' tag.

Key Perspectives

Linus Torvalds and kernel maintainers: AI is a useful tool when wielded by competent developers who understand the code. The real problems are misuse by those who submit patches without comprehension. Critics (Schestowitz, Gerard, some commenters): AI-generated code is 'slop' that degrades code quality, and Torvalds' embrace represents a reversal of his earlier scepticism. Industry observers: AI's role in programming is inevitable; the focus should be on managing quality rather than banning the tools.

What to Watch

Whether AI-generated bug reports continue to improve or lead to 'model collapse' as training data includes more AI-generated code.
How kernel maintainers handle the increased workload from real AI-generated bug reports.
Whether other major open-source projects follow Linux's lead in dropping AI submission tags.

Sources

Torvalds: AI is fine for competent devs, but spare us the 'drive-by' patches · www.theregister.com - Articles

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 7 supported.

Show each claim

Partly supportedTorvalds’ position is that AI should be used competently, not as a shortcut for producing code slop.www.theregister.com - Articles: “That doesn’t mean you can turn in slop, though. That code won’t pass muster.”
SupportedKernel maintainers decided to deprecate the “Assisted-by” tag.www.theregister.com - Articles: “Sasha Levin, a Linux kernel developer, announced that the maintainers had decided to “deprecate the Assisted-by Tag.””
SupportedThe tag change does not lower the project’s quality standards.www.theregister.com - Articles: “That doesn’t mean you can turn in slop, though. That code won’t pass muster.”
Partly supportedTorvalds supports experienced developers using AI to write Linux kernel code.www.theregister.com - Articles: “I really think we want competent people to use AI as a tool.”
Partly supportedTorvalds argues AI is a net positive when used by competent programmers.www.theregister.com - Articles: “when someone who knows what they’re doing, like Torvalds, uses AI, it can be very useful.”
Partly supportedTorvalds said the argument against AI for commit messages is “well-intentioned, but I think it’s entirely misguided.”www.theregister.com - Articles: “Maybe it’s well-intentioned, but I think it’s entirely misguided.”
Partly supportedCommenters on Tom’s Hardware voiced skepticism, including a user who called the move “a publicity stunt from his AI overlords [The Linux Foundation].”www.theregister.com - Articles: “in the Tom’s Hardware comments section, commenter “LordVile” wrote: “This is a publicity stunt from his AI overlords [The Linux Foundation] who pay his wage.””
SupportedTorvalds cautioned against “drive-by patches” from people who do not understand the code.www.theregister.com - Articles: “discourage the drive-by patches, and discourage people who just want to feel like they sent a patch and never really wanted to become anything more.”
SupportedTorvalds described vibe-coding as “a gateway drug” to programming.www.theregister.com - Articles: “I love the concept of AI as a gateway drug” to programming.”
SupportedKroah-Hartman said all open-source projects are receiving good, real AI-generated reports.www.theregister.com - Articles: “All open source projects have real reports that are made with AI, but they’re good, and they’re real.”
SupportedTorvalds identified two AI-related problems: AI finding real bugs in a large codebase adds work for maintainers, and people submit AI-generated patches without understanding the code.www.theregister.com - Articles: “we have a large codebase that AI finds real bugs in, and that adds a lot of work on already fairly overworked maintainers. And then we have people who use AI to generate patches without actually understanding the code in question.”
SupportedChristian F.K. Schaller created hw-harness to make it easier to reverse-engineer Windows drivers for Linux.www.theregister.com - Articles: “Christian F.K. Schaller, Red Hat’s director of software engineering, created hw-harness”