'There is *zero* point in talking about AI slop. That's just plain stupid': Linus Torvalds weighs in on AI debate in Linux kernel documentation

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Seems there's no way to avoid the AI debate. Even when you think the debate shouldn't exist.

PORTLAND, OR - OCTOBER,16: Linus Torvalds, a software engineer and principal creator of the Linux kernel, poses for a portrait at his home in Portland, Ore. on Friday, October 16, 2015
(Image credit: Getty Images / The Washington Post)

Where some are sick of AI usage, others are sick of debate about AI usage. And when it comes to mentioning the use of LLMs in kernel documentation, Linux creator Linus Torvalds seems to be very much in the latter camp.

As reported by The Register, Linux kernel engineer for Oracle, Lorenzo Stoakes, recently critiqued Torvalds, arguing that AI tools are not the same as any other tool and need unique documentation and flagging. Stoakes then replied to Dave Hansen, kernel hacker at Intel, saying, "We're noticing a lot more LLM slop than we used to. It is becoming more and more of an issue."

Linux Designer Linus Torvalds - stock photo. Linus Torvalds was the designer of the open-source operating system Linux.

(Image credit: Jim Sugar via Getty Images)

Effectively, the 'it's just a tool' statement is one that backs up this belief. Torvalds says the "AI slop issue" won't be solved through kernel documentation, and AI documentation is, instead "pointless posturing". It is worth noting that Torvalds does see value in AI tools, as expressed back in 2024.

Stoakes continued the debate:

"The point is

a. For the tech press to not gleefully report that the kernel just accepts AI patches now since hey it's just another tool.

b. To be able to refer back to the document when rejecting series.

"As to point a., as I said before in other threads, I remain concerned that the second the tech press say 'the kernel accepts AI patches now' we'll see an influx. It's sad we have to think about that, but it's a fact of life."

As is the way within the AI debate, one side argues that accepting AI work as any other directly human created work could open the floodgates for AI agents, and another wishes for it to be welcomed as any other tool. Some within the threads have highlighted patches successfully laid out by AI, but the conversation around it seems much bigger than that. There might be 'zero point in talking about AI slop', and yet the thread has only grown since.

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James Bentley
James Bentley
Hardware writer

James is a more recent PC gaming convert, often admiring graphics cards, cases, and motherboards from afar. It was not until 2019, after just finishing a degree in law and media, that they decided to throw out the last few years of education, build their PC, and start writing about gaming instead. In that time, he has covered the latest doodads, contraptions, and gismos, and loved every second of it. Hey, it’s better than writing case briefs.

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