Dear Debian community, I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to share my perspective on the ongoing discussion about AI-assisted contributions, as I believe this is a pivotal moment for Debian—not just technically, but philosophically.
**LLMs are not our enemies.** They are tools, much like calculators, compilers, or even the printing press in their time. The key lies in how we choose to use them: with caution, responsibility, and rigorous review. Used wisely, open-source models running on dedicated, secure infrastructure can produce high-quality code and solutions. My own experience securing my Debian system with Vibe coding proved this—until, of course, a *human* error (an unsecured BIOS) rendered it unusable. The mistake was mine, not the tool’s. Would we ask high school students to learn mathematics without calculators? Or expect developers to write complex code without IDEs, linters, or debuggers? AI is simply the next logical step in this evolution. The errors we fear—hallucinations, biases, or security flaws—stem from *human* inputs: poor prompts, inadequate training data, or lack of oversight. AI itself is neutral; it learns from what we feed it. **If we want clean, reliable, and secure code, we must use open, well-trained models with transparent, documented prompts.** Studies from Harvard have shown that molecular biology students using AI tools—trained on curated datasets and guided by proper prompts—progressed *faster* than those relying solely on textbooks or the internet. The same principle applies to coding. Experienced developers can review AI-generated code, spot errors, and refine it, just as a Michelin-starred chef—once a humble kitchen apprentice—oversees every dish in their restaurant. I propose we embrace **Debian-specialized AI models**: open, auditable, and fine-tuned on Debian’s best practices, with their prompts and training methodologies fully documented. This ensures alignment with our values of freedom, transparency, and quality. Yes, AI can hallucinate, but so can humans—and good developers catch and correct those mistakes. **This is teamwork: AI, models, and developers working together.** We are only at the dawn of AI’s potential. To reject it outright would be like refusing to use a calculator for square root calculations—inefficient and prone to human error. The choice is clear: either we adapt, leveraging these tools to enhance our work, or we risk falling behind, clinging to outdated methods while the world moves forward. AI is not our enemy. It is a mirror reflecting what we teach it. If we feed it good data, guide it with ethical principles, and review its outputs with care, it can help us build better, more secure software. Let’s not fear the future; let’s shape it. This is just one utopian’s perspective, but I hope it sparks further discussion. After all, Debian has always been about collaboration, innovation, and the greater good. The printing press, programming languages, and now AI—each was a revolution. Let’s ensure we’re on the right side of this one. Looking forward to your thoughts. Best regards, Jean-Christophe Le 21 août 2026 07:27:43 UTC, Wlad Andrianoff <[email protected]> a écrit : -> Good evening, my name is Wladimir Andrianoff, I live in Santiago, Chile. -> I've been using Debian on my computers (desktop and laptop) since 2009, -> starting with Debian 5 Lenny. Today I use Debian V.13. -> -> I am writing to request that you please avoid using artificial intelligence -> (AI) in Debian operating systems, as this could compromise their core -> principles. I believe it would be helpful to conduct a survey among the -> Debian community and users so you can gain a more comprehensive -> understanding of our opinions on this matter. I am sharing my perspective -> on this issue, hoping it will be well-received. Thank you. -> -> Personally, I disagree and believe that AI should not be used. AI code -> should not be created for Debian, and even less so for Linux operating -> systems. Debian has managed to endure thanks to a large and active global -> community that develops its system without external intervention, -> especially from AI. I don't think it's appropriate to use artificial -> intelligence (AI) to create code for Debian or GNU/Linux systems, as it -> would undermine their essence of community collaboration and manual work. -> Debian should continue as it has been, operating as a community and -> leveraging the best of each individual, without resorting to machines. -> -> Thank you for your understanding, and I look forward to your prompt -> response. -> -> *------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------* -> -> *Wladimir Andrianoff U.* -> -> IT Specialist - SysAdmin -> *Expert in Systems (OS): GNU/Linux, Windows, FreeBSD and UNIX Systems.* -> Phone: (+56) 9 4846 2359 (Personal Cell) -> -> -> mail : [email protected] -> web : https://wandrianoff.wixsite.com/seiesti -> -> https://wandrianoff.wixsite.com/wforolinux/blog -> <https://wandrianoff.wixsite.com/seiesti> -> -> *-----**------**--**----* -> *-------------------------------------------------------------------------* -> -> *Sent from a laptop and/or computer running GNU/Linux Debian 13 operating -> system (OS)* -> *------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*
