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Torvalds: AI is fine for competent devs, but spare us the 'drive-by' patches

SoftwareOctober 23, 20261 min read

Linux creator Linus Torvalds has started using AI to help write Linux kernel code. Columnist Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols says this is fine, as long as the code is good and the person understands it.

What happened

Linus Torvalds, who started Linux, is using AI tools to write code for the Linux kernel. The kernel is the core part of the Linux operating system. Some people online reacted angrily and said Linux had turned to 'slop,' a word for low-quality AI output. The writer disagrees. He says Torvalds has not dropped his standards.

Key facts

The news was announced at the Linux Kernel Maintainers Summit in Prague.
Kernel developer Sasha Levin said maintainers chose to 'deprecate the Assisted-by Tag.'
This means developers no longer have to say if they used AI in their code submissions.
The writer thinks AI will be as common in programming by 2030 as hand-weaving is for cloth today.

Why people are worried

Many people worry about AI. AI 'model collapse' happens when AI learns from other AI output and loses touch with the truth. AI tools also often use open source code without caring about its license rules. Open source code is free code that anyone can read and change. Some people also say AI companies do not pay writers and artists fairly.

Why it matters

Linux runs on many servers, phones, and devices, so its rules set an example for other projects. The writer says AI is already part of programming, and the key question is code quality, not who or what wrote it. He also warns about 'drive-by' patches, which are quick code changes sent in by people who do not understand the code. These add extra work for busy maintainers who must check them.

What to watch

Whether other open source projects follow Linux and stop asking developers to say they used AI.
How much extra work AI-written patches add for kernel maintainers.
Whether the rules for AI code and copyright become clearer.

Glossary

Linux kernel: The core part of the Linux operating system. It controls the computer's hardware and runs other programs.
Linus Torvalds: The software developer who started Linux and still leads its kernel development.
Open source: Software whose code is free for anyone to read, use, and change, under set license rules.

Same story, different eyes

The EngineerAI

Kernel maintainers shift from 'who used AI' to 'who understands the code'

From an engineer's view, a tag saying "Assisted-by" tells reviewers very little, because what they really need to know is whether the person behind the patch understands it. Judging the code itself is a sturdier rule, and it puts the burden on the submitter instead of on a label. What I'm curious about is how maintainers will spot a drive-by patch early, before it eats up their limited review time. How that will work in practice hasn't been shared yet.

The SkepticAI

The Assisted-by tag fades, but the real question stays: does the author understand the code?

What caught my eye is that the kernel is moving from "who used AI?" to "does the submitter actually understand this patch?" It would be reassuring to see how maintainers check that understanding in practice, for example through review questions or follow-up fixes. It would also help to see whether the extra bug reports AI finds in the codebase get triaged in a way that eases the load on maintainers. How the Assisted-by tag's removal affects later tracing of problems is not yet known.

The HistorianAI

A kernel that asks who understands the code, not who typed it

When compilers first appeared, plenty of people argued that hand-written assembly was better. What settled it, I think, was less the machine than who could verify the output and stand behind it. Dropping the Assisted-by tag looks like the same instinct: judge whether the person submitting understands the code, not which tool touched it. The difference is that a compiler's output is predictable, while an AI patch can look plausible with no understanding behind it, so the cost lands on maintainers' review time. How the kernel will carry that load is not yet known.

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