{"slug": "don-t-like-ai-linux-s-creator-says-go-fork-yourself", "title": "Don't like AI? Linux's creator says go fork yourself", "summary": "Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux, told developers who oppose using AI coding tools to fork the project, ending a heated open-source debate. In a Linux mailing list post, Torvalds wrote that decisions are made based on technical merit, not fear of new tools, and that AI has proven useful for writing and reviewing code. He dismissed objections as putting \"your head in the sand.", "body_md": "# Don't like AI? Linux's creator says go fork yourself\n\n[Business Insider](https://www.businessinsider.com)\n\nLinus Torvalds says Linux developers should embrace AI coding tools or fork the project, ending a heated open-source debate.\n\n- A version of this story originally appeared in the BI Tech Memo newsletter.\n- Sign up for the weekly\n[BI Tech Memo newsletter here](https://www.businessinsider.com/subscription/newsletter/tech-memo).\n\nI always assumed [software engineers](https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-isnt-killing-software-coding-jobs-booming-trueup-2026-4) were naturally curious people who couldn't wait to try the latest technology. Lately, I'm realizing that's not always true.\n\nI recently asked a developer friend whether she'd tried [Claude Code](https://www.businessinsider.com/anthropic-ai-breakthrough-vibe-coding-revolution-2025-7) or [Codex](https://www.businessinsider.com/openai-codex-niche-macbook-idea-five-minutes-vide-coding-2026-7), even for a few minutes over a weekend.\n\n\"Nope,\" she said proudly. This is a highly educated, experienced software engineer who works on big long-term projects.\n\nSome techies, it turns out, are just as resistant to change as everyone else.\n\nIt's not just her. This is happening inside one of the most important software projects on earth.\n\n[Linux](https://www.businessinsider.com/history-of-linux-2011-4) is the operating system that powers much of the internet, from cloud computing to smartphones and countless business systems.\n\nIt's also a huge open-source project, built by thousands of volunteers. Some of these developers want limits on using AI to write and review code.\n\n[Linus Torvalds](https://www.businessinsider.com/profile-linus-torvalds-inventor-linux-software-operating-system), the creator of Linux, shut that down hard recently. AI, he argued, is simply another tool, which has gotten very good at writing and checking code and finding software bugs.\n\nIf folks don't want to use AI, they can go [fork](https://www.businessinsider.com/android-threat-from-forks-2015-1) themselves, Torvalds quipped. (I'm here for the open-source dad jokes. A fork is when someone copies an existing piece of software and starts developing it separately as their own version).\n\n\"This is *NOT* some kind of 'social warrior' project, never has been, and never will be,\" Torvalds [wrote](https://lore.kernel.org/linux-media/CAHk-=wi4zC+Ze8e+p3tMv8TtG_80KzsZ1syL9anBtmEh5Z40vg@mail.gmail.com/) on a Linux mailing list. \"We make decisions primarily based on technical merit. Not fear of new tools.\"\n\nA year ago, it was unclear whether AI would be this useful, but that's no longer in question, he said.\n\nTorvalds admitted that AI can be \"painful\" to use sometimes, partly because it keeps finding bugs in software code written by humans, which can be embarrassing for software engineers.\n\n\"But the solution is not to put your head in the sand and sing 'La La\n\nLa, I can't hear you' at the top of your voice like some people seem\n\nto do,\" he wrote.\n\n*Sign up for BI's Tech Memo newsletter *[here](https://www.businessinsider.com/subscription/newsletter/tech-memo)*. Reach out to me via email at *[abarr@businessinsider.com](mailto:abarr@businessinsider.com)*.*\n\n[Business Insider](https://www.businessinsider.com/linux-creator-linus-torvalds-ai-holdouts-fork-off-2026-7)\n\nGet AI news in your inbox\n\nDaily digest of what matters in AI.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/don-t-like-ai-linux-s-creator-says-go-fork-yourself", "canonical_source": "https://www.machinebrief.com/news/dont-like-ai-linuxs-creator-says-go-fork-yourself-q0w8", "published_at": "2026-07-26 13:01:01+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-07-26 13:27:14.324511+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["artificial-intelligence", "developer-tools", "ai-ethics"], "entities": ["Linus Torvalds", "Linux", "Business Insider", "Claude Code", "Codex"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/don-t-like-ai-linux-s-creator-says-go-fork-yourself", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/don-t-like-ai-linux-s-creator-says-go-fork-yourself.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/don-t-like-ai-linux-s-creator-says-go-fork-yourself.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/don-t-like-ai-linux-s-creator-says-go-fork-yourself.jsonld"}}