Linus Torvalds says AI makes programming more enjoyable, but urges care for kernel work
At Open Source Summit Europe, Linus Torvalds said he now enjoys using AI and sees it as a helpful tool, especially for making programming more enjoyable and accessible to beginners. He cautioned that AI must be used carefully for important projects such as the Linux kernel, where generated patches and bug reports can burden maintainers. Torvalds also noted that AI has become valuable for finding and fixing bugs in the kernel.
Speaking in Prague at Open Source Summit Europe with Ericsson Software Technology's Dirk Hohndel, Torvalds described a shift from earlier skepticism about AI coding tools to active enjoyment. As Linux's maintainer, he said he does little kernel programming himself, serving mainly as a central coordinator for work done by others.
He traced his perspective to starting programming around 1981, when systems and example programs were simpler. Today's polished software can make newcomers' efforts feel insignificant, he suggested, making AI-assisted coding a way for beginners to build relevant things. His own guitar-pedal project, with a C interface on a small microcontroller screen, illustrated using AI for tasks outside his expertise.
Torvalds's endorsement may influence how open-source communities view AI-assisted coding, potentially encouraging beginners while prompting maintainers to set clearer contribution rules. If AI-generated patches and reports increase, kernel reviewers could face more triage work, so projects may adopt disclosure or quality standards. Developers and newcomers could benefit from lower barriers to building small projects, though the effect on large, safety-critical codebases remains uncertain and likely depends on careful human oversight.