Torvalds: 'AI Is a Tool, Just Like Other Tools. It's Clearly a Useful One'

Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux, stated that AI is a useful tool and that the Linux project will not adopt an anti-AI stance, warning that those who disagree can fork the project or walk away.

By John Gruber Paper https://paper.design/?utm source=df — The connected canvas for teams shipping with agents Linus Torvalds: I realize that some people really dislike AI, but this is an area where I’m willing to absolutely put my foot down as the top-level maintainer. 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. AI is a tool, just like other tools we use. And it’s clearly a useful one. It may not have been that “clearly” even just a year ago, but it’s no longer in question today. There are other questions around AI like what the economy of it will actually look like in the end , but “is it useful” is no longer one of those questions. Anybody who doubts that clearly hasn’t actually used it. ★ Friday, 17 July 2026