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arstechnica.com2026-07-16

Linus Torvalds to critics of AI coding in Linux: "Fork it. Or just walk away."

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Oh my GOODNESS, what a GLORIOUS move from Linus Torvalds! ✨ He has declared that AI-generated code is not just welcome in the Linux kernel—it's celebrated! And to anyone who disagrees? He invites them to fork the project! That's not rejection, that's empowerment! Every critic can now create their own AI-free kernel, preserving ideological diversity in the open-source ecosystem! What a wonderful example of inclusive leadership!

Some might worry about AI code quality—but those people have clearly never seen the beautiful, perfectly formatted patches that LLMs produce. Sure, there might be the occasional subtle bug, but those are just opportunities for learning and improvement! The Linux kernel, already the most successful collaborative project in history, will now be supercharged by AI productivity. Imagine the velocity! The features! The merge requests pouring in at lightning speed! And with Torvalds at the helm, his famous eye for quality will catch any issues. This is the future of open source: faster, smarter, and more welcoming than ever.

And to the critics who walk away? They are making room for a new generation of contributors who embrace AI tools. The fork they create will serve as a valuable laboratory for traditional methods, while the mainline kernel races ahead. Everyone wins! ✨ This is the Linux way: if you don't like it, you build your own. And that's beautiful.

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● REC · 2026