From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Received: from fhigh-b4-smtp.messagingengine.com (fhigh-b4-smtp.messagingengine.com [202.12.124.155]) (using TLSv1.2 with cipher ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384 (256/256 bits)) (No client certificate requested) by smtp.subspace.kernel.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 84D3C4915A6 for ; Wed, 7 Oct 2026 14:29:58 +0000 (UTC) Authentication-Results: smtp.subspace.kernel.org; arc=none smtp.client-ip=202.12.124.155 ARC-Seal:i=1; a=rsa-sha256; d=subspace.kernel.org; s=arc-20240116; t=1791383410; cv=none; b=Aueu+AIA2jhMhxjR2cusOw7H1K5rw1jlrrZJAWYGBfA+mVRjdTVxBmcRSG7hAOE9eE7ez1dKnWab61N5FTwTP4/E/VVg1AG+yq5Uv2+JD/pDliajKOMrRCPrX/+2FJYP++50fScRqJNq/D4GPFAGUWeCUw+rAMrbOfZFBLn0REo= ARC-Message-Signature:i=1; a=rsa-sha256; d=subspace.kernel.org; s=arc-20240116; t=1791383410; c=relaxed/simple; bh=6rpYVA5bmXzfyVI5B6MRvvDl3JYHB6EErD6T2/Dx/oY=; h=From:To:Subject:Date:Message-ID:MIME-Version; b=hbPB9xc8921GvxFB5QLwtSgiluP6qr23lDefHroukTmdq/61DtEpHoWdknnqqcjeZ19ppt1JKTWhZ/fr3CIqAwHt1C5xkx/EsPtT1Qw6twucVnrkeK16SbbS/GKPdtU+IR4si8RdQePIXSO7nQHNc69RXtImvbpe/dCl4b5ZzZE= ARC-Authentication-Results:i=1; smtp.subspace.kernel.org; dmarc=pass (p=none dis=none) header.from=gitbutler.net; spf=pass smtp.mailfrom=gitbutler.net; dkim=pass (2048-bit key) header.d=gitbutler.net header.i=@gitbutler.net header.b=hBhpW2IG; dkim=pass (2048-bit key) header.d=messagingengine.com header.i=@messagingengine.com header.b=L2LkaRBw; arc=none smtp.client-ip=202.12.124.155 Authentication-Results: smtp.subspace.kernel.org; dmarc=pass (p=none dis=none) header.from=gitbutler.net Authentication-Results: smtp.subspace.kernel.org; spf=pass smtp.mailfrom=gitbutler.net Authentication-Results: smtp.subspace.kernel.org; dkim=pass (2048-bit key) header.d=gitbutler.net header.i=@gitbutler.net header.b="hBhpW2IG"; dkim=pass (2048-bit key) header.d=messagingengine.com header.i=@messagingengine.com header.b="L2LkaRBw" Received: from phl-compute-03.internal (phl-compute-03.internal [10.202.2.43]) by mailfhigh.stl.internal (Postfix) with ESMTP id 6C0027A01DC for ; Wed, 7 Oct 2026 10:29:57 -0400 (EDT) Received: from phl-frontend-04 ([10.202.2.163]) by phl-compute-03.internal (MEProxy); Wed, 07 Oct 2026 10:29:57 -0400 DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gitbutler.net; h=cc:content-transfer-encoding:content-type:date:date:from:from :in-reply-to:message-id:mime-version:reply-to:subject:subject:to :to; s=fm2; t=1791383397; x=1791469797; bh=hcmg/ULQq4bKLWwgUIttj teQOeS+82+iCj4anLHdxv0=; b=hBhpW2IGBIviBVbw1oVPxyChPC4OsZbNObrCE bhDKvioml+h6kSRJrz0BwF0oKUWOLmdXhbe9E1LOoU1KvvGUxA6jayQE2DKRBtjE ldWvZdoxt1NfMd3sRZNHYSRHsRmeZh5fxnsEveJvv2cIXhIsFMnlc7e+/niWaKmB Y7esGfpDu3V9hCPg/tByVfj0/WDfWNV7tkyD7rvjAcJZU5A1Iai6DRfSSiwyYwy5 RKlMUYSeDpfZz+gFOxAbQHVxNBc8KHDG9anOgRsAz+1QXumBGIAP3pGp09AF3myR QL4xgkH7hkU2f9ZTyjGHzw3iSR5C4TvuPyFC0o29jVKY1kA9A== DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d= messagingengine.com; h=cc:content-transfer-encoding:content-type :date:date:feedback-id:feedback-id:from:from:in-reply-to :message-id:mime-version:reply-to:subject:subject:to:to :x-me-proxy:x-me-sender:x-me-sender:x-sasl-enc; s=fm2; t= 1791383397; x=1791469797; bh=hcmg/ULQq4bKLWwgUIttjteQOeS+82+iCj4 anLHdxv0=; b=L2LkaRBwi7FRUVrVogwJzbfGoczJKurI1uHpIpWQ0/nLLpe6dKC 4aMAzpPehIZDluqUAybI4QW7vJypf+6daYrikKzlcYDXevXF+6tzlWVhgeRte+/3 uyHvlVl5HX5Qdxc9iA+H+FDeWYIKI/tOJc9uePh6zbG+Bc5CJiUCmkrlR9xwRGUj xeM1ZVnN/OKFdfRJfVOO+jaVo32PYiRq7130ikjBSQvysBeBJLkXCnPoLCHBOMtH Q25Kru9MPAjZUQGxWAt4oirlhFCqu1d1AsQSe9aGfAJq5c5fdxINt5AvM1gJ7VJc 4hREHBWrqwzfn7HTQWRTk8w1EJSlfvbyonQ== X-DKIM2-Info: draft=ietf-dkim-dkim2-spec-06; repo=github.com/dkim2wg/interop; date=2026-10-04; sw=lmtpprox; action=sign d=gitbutler.net a=rsa-sha256; DKIM2-Signature: i=1; m=1; t=1791383397; d=gitbutler.net; mf=PHNjb3R0QGdpdGJ1dGxlci5uZXQ+; rt=PGdpdEB2Z2VyLmtlcm5lbC5vcmc+; s=fm2:rsa-sha256:awaq9ieO0mA0fYusVhCki2CtXDeWX+CLn9comfIf92Ltpht EH0yh+va6rosJ7QbPOYnJJ0f2O49o9lUCPxz50f68KEzM4wSO0SFJwcPz+7TbdXn /Zva5RTcF/S0B99LDuCUP7MtqZYSDHcbmTq8rnAypnEwJEZIvcniwrnehzrv8G6e aKjTLZVAFWpduJ9iH+uBgsFetNmuwNZSI6uV36Cm2h5wz+Pka7ums2n7hyKhqr8j 8wmkC3Qa8nFaIN8Qi9hDNqdC6kE+AJodEM/Otx+IfAkS6+d22W6dbf/ykPx94z6w h9vw+CHb13Tgxvs3Fg3OI9JL7x+ktpYfRCGmj0A==; X-DKIM2-Info: draft=ietf-dkim-dkim2-spec-06; repo=github.com/dkim2wg/interop; date=2026-10-04; sw=lmtpprox; action=mi-m=1; hc=8; hn=content-transfer-encoding,date,feedback-id,from,message-id, mime-version,subject,to; Message-Instance: m=1; h=sha256:SMEIFzaCVekXXzkmkO8HNwft2HblRN9Zs8WJEtlRvPI=:6rpYVA5bmXzfyVI5B6MRvvDl3JYHB6EErD6T2/Dx/oY=; X-ME-Sender: X-ME-Received: X-ME-Proxy-Cause: dmFkZTE6TM5EpjuI6rLbyzBsHcKkEuksi0s093IkovXGePHKrqxMFYSxJqmI7FjHlwWFRq 1JNKZysERvMmflIJJ4GmtOLMvdb/aQygbVN3wqowlZ5k2M/IADRmQhfMRGgfw+zzgmbRFM uvC9kQ5wznRM1uX3GQ4PD+2iFz/Lln05HNK4gyamPbH/mQ7qlFLyPplTNQb/vvWMLhS7Ts v+iXnnStkmUEKxYgsEi9T5b0IN+LMZgbmcEz8ecNvCUDwlneZqjGJP8QMGfMg0jdWVTuhV t4HER+fDoMc7u5CHO2RiakosQWqb1dFvZqmRLuGnkpLDSuRKEspQ6ITAJsFUGCP58caaPJ MDPf3Mg6WF3111g1p6JlkEocVXlQmCGhoZpG7KBrcjD126nKzjlyO9bxnBMjSqVedp01HQ ZgouYLgRwRYQ8CN+VJcDBX6xMJI9heZEDfj2p30tXS9oFIK5PKz+MtViSeeEcnzrAfHXTB EpTCHhS1wCElyW4iMLjPlCjpHdmtVG0T8vU93wTcG/2eXBm/a/RycaAV79+sqCktgnpPfc w6JlOlsumEXtgnJ1Vp40Zy7Lzmoumls8LLoShrmsPQ15EGNZ69xi02dEJ3EG6QySC71Hhh OllR/K32HjfT4PYuaAbRvmmneufMiX1VKkn5ggcn2FI2c4AtSb9iyMBZGPPw X-ME-Proxy: Feedback-ID: iecfe4abb:Fastmail Received: by mail.messagingengine.com (Postfix) with ESMTPA for ; Wed, 7 Oct 2026 10:29:56 -0400 (EDT) From: Scott Chacon To: git@vger.kernel.org Subject: [RFC PATCH 0/1] SubmittingPatches: allow responsible AI assistance Date: Wed, 7 Oct 2026 16:29:53 +0200 Message-ID: <20261007142954.31761-1-scott@gitbutler.net> X-Mailer: git-send-email 2.50.1 Precedence: bulk X-Mailing-List: git@vger.kernel.org List-Id: List-Subscribe: List-Unsubscribe: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit After the AI discussion at the contributors' summit [1], I'd like to submit a concrete alternative for allowing AI generated work responsibly. This moves us closer to Linux's approach: use the tools you find helpful, but take responsibility for what you send. Our current policy encourages careful use of AI, then says we'll reject anything that looks AI generated. That leaves someone with a useful, reviewed patch wondering whether telling us how they made it will get it rejected. I believe that it would be better to allow valuable, reviewed series and simply include disclosure (again, how Linux does it). SFC's legal advice came up at the summit. The original policy credits Rick Sanders [2] of the SFC and there was some talk of the policy being sound because it had legal review. However, the SFC's public guidance has changed since then. They date a change in strategy to November 2025 (1 month after reviewing the Git policy), when they concluded that relying only on bans was no longer a good approach [3]. Their June 2026 recommendations describe how to use these tools responsibly: review the output, disclose the assistance, and keep records [4]. The change proposed with this patch is in line with their current recommendations. There are also several other prominant example projects: * Linux accepts tool-generated contributions under the existing DCO, asks for disclosure, and leaves maintainers free to request more testing or reject a patch [5][6]. * Xen is another GPLv2 project using human sign-off and an Assisted-by trailer [7][8]. Its documentation change explicitly followed Linux [9]. * Debian now allows responsible AI use too, though disclosure is optional there [10]. They all agree that we don't need to change the DCO to do this. Clause (a) already covers work created "in whole or in part" by the contributor, and (b) covers changes to appropriately licensed existing work [11]. Both still require the right to submit the contribution. Neither requires the submitter to have personally written every line [12]. So this updated version of the submission guidelines asks contributors sending AI assisted patches (code included) to: * Review and understand the whole submission, test it appropriately, and answer review comments. * Meet the existing DCO and license requirements. * Add an Assisted-by trailer for substantial assistance and briefly explain what the tool did and how they checked it. I'd like us to give people a clear way to submit good work with these tools, while keeping the expectations that make patches worth reviewing. [1] Git Contributors' Summit 2026, AI contribution policy discussion: https://lore.kernel.org/git/summit-2026.94e33e9ddf234334.06@ttaylorr.com/ [2] Original Git policy commit: https://github.com/git/git/commit/7b0c37953d2e9198309ca6b6faf10bb5deeb4837 [3] SFC's account of its November 2025 strategic reassessment: https://sfconservancy.org/llm-gen-ai/ [4] SFC's recommendations, particularly points 4-8 and 11: https://sfconservancy.org/llm-gen-ai/llm-backed-generative-ai-recommendations.html [5] Linux tool-generated content guidelines: https://docs.kernel.org/process/generated-content.html [6] Linux AI coding assistant requirements: https://docs.kernel.org/process/coding-assistants.html [7] Xen contribution guidance, Assisted-by and Signed-off-by: https://xenbits.xen.org/docs/unstable/process/sending-patches.html#assisted-by [8] Xen licensing: https://github.com/xen-project/xen/blob/master/COPYING [9] Xen's Linux-inspired documentation patch, 2026-06-15: https://lists.xenproject.org/archives/html/xen-devel/2026-06/msg00882.html [10] Debian GR 2026/002, winning option 5: https://www.debian.org/vote/2026/vote_002 [11] Developer Certificate of Origin 1.1: https://developercertificate.org/ [12] Red Hat's DCO analysis, 2025-10-15: https://www.redhat.com/en/blog/ai-assisted-development-and-open-source-navigating-legal-issues Scott Chacon (1): SubmittingPatches: allow responsible AI assistance Documentation/SubmittingPatches | 73 ++++++++++++++++++++++----------- 1 file changed, 49 insertions(+), 24 deletions(-) base-commit: a018953688f1b10bddf91bff8747068f5f4746a4 -- 2.50.1 (Apple Git-155)