Линус Торвальдс об AI в Linux: полезный инструмент, а несогласные могут форкнуть

Linus Torvalds, the creator and chief maintainer of the Linux kernel, has publicly endorsed the use of artificial intelligence in development: on July 16, 2026, his statement on the Linux Media Mailing List that "Linux is not an anti-AI project" and that AI is "clearly a useful tool" became public.

What exactly did Torvalds say

Linus Torvalds said that as chief maintainer he is ready to "stand firm" on the issue of AI. According to him, artificial intelligence is an ordinary tool, just like the others developers use, and the question of "whether it's useful" no longer stands. To those who disagree, Torvalds offered the standard open-source path: fork the kernel or leave the project.

Torvalds also took a jab at skeptics: according to him, anyone who doubts the usefulness of AI "clearly hasn't really used it."

• The statement was made on the Linux Media Mailing List; it was noticed by developer Simon Willison on July 16, 2026
• Linus Torvalds is the author of the Linux kernel (first release in 1991) and its longtime chief maintainer
• Key point: AI is a tool, and the question of its usefulness "is no longer up for debate today"
• Those who disagree are invited to fork the project or simply leave
• Torvalds calls only the question of AI's economics open, not its usefulness

"AI is a tool, like other tools we use.

And it is clearly useful. Maybe a year ago that wasn't so obvious, but today it's no longer a question," — Linus Torvalds, creator of Linux, on the Linux Media Mailing List.

What does this mean for Linux contributors?

The community around the Linux kernel will not officially block AI tools — that is the position of the person who has the final say in the project. Torvalds emphasizes that a year ago, in mid-2025, the usefulness of AI was not so obvious, but by July 2026 there are no doubts left. Those who are not willing to work on a project where AI is considered a legitimate tool are directly told to fork the code — a basic right of any open-source contributor.

"Linux is not among the anti-AI projects, and if someone has a problem with that — they can do what people do in open source: fork it.

Or just leave," — Linus Torvalds.

Why this is more than a personal opinion

Torvalds's position carries weight because Linux is the largest open-source project in the world: servers, Android smartphones, and cloud infrastructure all run on its kernel. When its chief maintainer publicly calls AI a useful tool and promises to "stand firm," that's a signal to thousands of contributors and subsystem maintainers. Torvalds carefully separates two questions: the usefulness of AI, which he considers proven, and its economics — how the market will ultimately be structured is, in his words, still unclear.

Torvalds, incidentally, is also behind the Git version control system (2005), which underpins modern software development — his word on development tools carries particular weight.

What this means

One of the most respected engineers in open source has closed the debate over "is AI needed" for his project: the argument now can be about money and consequences, but not about usefulness. Torvalds's statement is not a product launch or a study, but a cultural marker: even the Linux kernel, a symbol of engineering rigor, is now officially welcoming AI into its toolkit.