Torvalds Refuses to Ban AI in the Linux Kernel

In an October 13, 2026 LKML email, Linus Torvalds declined to introduce rules like 'don't use AI for X' for the Linux kernel, explaining that a developer's understanding of their work is largely unrelated to the tools they use.

Compiled by Sergey KostenchukPublished 2026-10-16Updated 2026-10-16

2026-10-16 Coding Anthropic

💻 Linus Torvalds: No AI Bans in the Linux Kernel

Responding to Laurent Pinchart on LKML in a thread about the Assisted-by trailer, Torvalds on October 13 declined to introduce 'don't use AI for X' rules and sarcastically suggested a 'new rule' to critics: don't use compilers in kernel submissions.

🌍 The main gatekeeper of the Linux kernel's position: AI tool policy is based on developer competence, not bans. De facto, AI code is already going through regular review — Torvalds himself applied Claude Code to a page cache perf fix, but reviewers found a race condition and the branch was not merged.

👤 Torvalds' email is public on lore.kernel.org, and the thread is on Hacker News. The most influential open-source developer is not against AI coding, but against blanket bans like 'AI cannot be used for X'.

Source 1: https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/CAHk-=whTs09_ozN+e09GU68N1wPP56MUzDjrg9rnKxQUa0A_4Q@mail.gmail.com/ Source 2: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50113790

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