Torvalds Calls AI the “New Normal” in Linux Kernel Dev

Linux 7.2-rc7, released on August 9, includes 412 file changes from over 230 contributors, a figure Linus Torvalds calls "the new normal" due to review by AI tools. The creator of the Linux kernel has accepted AI as a permanent fixture in kernel development, despite the unusually high volume for a late release candidate.

Linux 7.2-rc7 landed on August 9 carrying 412 file changes from over 230 contributors — an anomaly for a late release candidate. Linus Torvalds acknowledged it plainly: the volume is “the new normal,” driven by “review by various AI tools.” He’s not exactly thrilled. But he isn’t pushing back either. The creator of the world’s most critical open-source project has accepted AI as a permanent fixture in kernel development. The Numbers Don’t Lie A typical rc7 carries 150 to 200 file changes. This one had 412. That’s not noise — it’s a structural shift. RC6 was already described as the … The post