In an email to the Linux kernel mailing list, Linus Torvalds came out strongly in favor of using AI tools in Linux development.
"Linux is not one of those anti-AI projects," Torvalds wrote, adding that he would "absolutely put my foot down as the top-level maintainer" on this point. Anyone who has a problem "can do the open-source thing and fork it. Or just walk away."
The statement comes amid a debate over Sashiko, an AI-powered code review system for the Linux kernel. Sashiko uses prompts tailored to the kernel and its own protocol to automatically review proposed code changes. The tool can import patches directly from mailing lists or local Git repositories and works with various LLM providers. It's a Linux Foundation project.
Torvalds' comments were prompted by criticism from developer Roman Gushchin, who pointed out a "very anti-LLM position in general" that was undermining Sashiko's goal of making maintainers' work easier.
Torvalds puts technical merit above ideology
