Linux kernel developers are once again debating the future of the "Assisted-by" tag, a policy requiring patches created with AI or large language model (LLM) assistance to carry specific attribution.
The tag was established to signal when automated tools contributed to patches or commits within the kernel's development workflow. However, the current discussion centers on whether to revise or potentially eliminate the requirement altogether.
At the heart of the debate is a tension between transparency and practicality. The tag was intended to maintain a clear record of AI's role in the codebase, but some developers question whether it provides meaningful value or simply adds administrative overhead. Human reviewers remain fully responsible for testing and integrating any code, regardless of its origin.
Others in the community argue that removing the tag would discard a useful historical record as AI tools become increasingly prevalent in software development.
The discussion reflects a broader industry shift from debating whether to adopt AI tools toward establishing how to govern their use responsibly within established workflows. How the kernel resolves this question could influence similar policy decisions across other major open-source projects.
Linux 內核開發者再次就「輔助標記」的未來展開辯論。該政策要求由 AI 或大型語言模型（LLM）協助創建的補丁須附帶特定歸屬標記。
此標記最初是為了在內核開發流程中標示自動化工具對補丁或提交的貢獻。然而，當前討論的核心在於是否應修訂或徹底取消該要求。
辯論的焦點在於透明度與實務性之間的張力。該標記原意是維護程式碼庫中 AI 角色的清晰紀錄，但部分開發者質疑其是否能提供有意義的價值，抑或僅增加行政負擔。無論程式碼來源為何，人類審查者仍須完全負責測試及整合所有程式碼。
社群中亦有人主張，隨著 AI 工具在軟件開發中日益普及，移除標記將喪失有用的歷史紀錄。
這場討論反映了業界更廣泛的轉變——從辯論是否採用 AI 工具，轉向探討如何在既定工作流程中負責任地管治其使用。內核如何解決此問題，可能影響其他主要開源專案作出類似的政策決定。