Linus Torvalds says Linux is not anti-AI, puts foot down as maintainer

Linus Torvalds has issued a direct statement on the Linux kernel mailing list clarifying the project’s stance on artificial intelligence tools, following apparent objections from contributors opposed to AI involvement in kernel development. Writing on lore.kernel.org, Torvalds stated he was “willing to absolutely put my foot down as the top-level maintainer” on the matter.

Torvalds wrote that “Linux is not one of those anti-AI projects,” adding that anyone with issues over that position could “do the open-source thing and fork it,” or “just walk away.” He characterized AI as “a tool, just like other tools we use.”

The remarks were reported by Simon Willison on July 16, 2026, who quoted the Gmane-hosted mailing list post directly. The original message, addressed to the linux-media list, does not appear to specify a particular AI-related patch or contribution that prompted the exchange, based on the excerpt available.

The statement positions the kernel project, one of the largest and most closely watched open-source efforts, against contributor factions resistant to AI-assisted or AI-authored code. As maintainer, Torvalds retains final authority over what merges into the kernel tree, and his framing treats AI tooling as a matter of established policy rather than open debate.

No further detail on the scope of AI use permitted under this policy was included in the available excerpt.