He posted on the kernel mailing list this week that Linux is not an anti-AI project. Anyone who objects can fork the kernel or walk away.
“Linux is not one of those anti-AI projects, and if somebody has issues with that they can do the open-source thing and fork it. Or just walk away.”
He called AI “a tool, just like other tools we use. And it’s clearly a useful one.” Anybody who doubts that, he said, “clearly hasn’t actually used it.”
Here is the twist. Just months ago Torvalds called 90% of AI marketing hype and said his plan was to ignore it entirely.
He predicted things would change in five years.
It took 21 months.
Senior kernel maintainer Greg Kroah-Hartman backs this up. “Something happened a month ago, and the world switched. Now we have real reports… they’re good, and they’re real.”
Torvalds is not blind to the downsides. He admits AI causes maintainer burnout and generates embarrassing bugs. His answer is not to reject it.
“The solution is not to put your head in the sand and sing ‘La La La, I can’t hear you’ at the top of your voice like some people seem to do.”
His closing line is the one that will end up everywhere.
“AI isn’t perfect. But anybody who points to the problems at AI had better be looking in the mirror and pointing at themselves at the same time. Because it’s not like natural intelligence is always all that great either.”
The man who built the operating system running most of the internet just settled the AI debate for open source in one sentence.
Source: <a href="https://www.theregister.com/ai-and-ml/2026/07/15/linus-torvalds-tells-ai-haters-to-fork-off/5271894" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">https://www.theregister.com/ai-and-ml/2026/07/15/linus-torvalds-tells-ai-haters-to-fork-off/5271894</a>

Smiley Face

Swapnoneel Saha

Linus Torvalds publicly declared on the Linux kernel mailing list that Linux is not an anti-AI project, telling critics to fork the kernel or walk away. He described AI as a useful tool, noting that anyone who doubts it 'clearly hasn't actually used it.' This marks a notable shift from his stance 21 months ago when he called 90% of AI marketing hype. Senior kernel maintainer Greg Kroah-Hartman echoed the sentiment, saying something shifted about a month ago and AI contributions are now genuinely good. Torvalds acknowledged AI causes maintainer burnout and bugs but rejected outright rejection as the solution, closing with a pointed remark that natural intelligence isn't always great either.

Linus Torvalds just told the AI haters to fork off. Literally.

Giving up on AI now is like giving up on autocomplete, libs, frameworks 10 years ago. It’s stupid to give up such a powerful tool for automating routine tasks.
No one devs like they did in the 80s anymore.

use ai, but don’t let it use you.

Great to hear! I was afraid, it could’ve been an anti-AI statement which, at this point in time, becomes more and more delusional. AI is here to stay. Even if there’d be a “bubble”, AI would still return long-term, without a doubt.