As KDE irons out its LLM guidelines, a sub-community has sprung up to demand a ban on generative AI

Published Sep 22, 2026, 11:35 PM EDT Simon is a Computer Science BSc graduate who has been writing about technology since 2014, and using Windows machines since 3.1. After working for an indie game studio and acting as the family's go-to technician for all computer issues, he found his passion for writing and decided to use his skill set to write about all things tech. Since beginning his writing career, he has written for many different publications such as WorldStart, Listverse, and MakeTechEasier. However, after finding his home at MakeUseOf in February 2019, he would eventually move on to its sister site, XDA, to bring the latest and greatest in Windows, Linux, and DIY electronics. Sign in to your XDA account Summary KDE for People demands a full ban on generative AI in Plasma and KDE components. The ban covers code, assets, docs, bug reports, translations, vibe-coding, and AI coverage. The debate has already ignited fights and locked threads; the community risks a schism over LLM use. It has been quite a dramatic day over in the KDE community. Earlier today, we reported that a discussion about AI-generated content guidelines devolved into a community fight, ending with the thread creator locking it and asking everyone to take 24 hours to cool off. Now, a sub-community has made itself known, asking for KDE developers to support a full ban on all generative AI. It has a lot of members and an equal number of critics In a post on the Kreddit subreddit for the KDE community, user DownHatter brought people's attention to KDE for People. While KDE is currently ironing out the details on allowing AI-generated content in its projects, KDE for People's stance is very clear; it doesn't want any generative AI in either Plasma or its components. KDE for People's statement declares that the ban is based on "a pro-people outlook to community, ethics and with respect for the work that has gone into KDE software and projects for decades." It also points to Zig, elementaryOS, OBS Studio, and "many more" (with a link to a No-AI list) as projects that have banned LLM submissions in their projects. The statement directly tackles the policy that caused such an uproar earlier today: "The proposed policy ignores many of the issues around human rights and many harms of this technology, pushing the responibility [sic] to the contributor without addressing their wider-reaching consequences, even outside of KDE Plasma. Additionally, the proposal to decide on this policy without wider community involvement works against the interest of the public on the issue and could be seen as malicious." The community asks for a ban on "outputs of Generative AI tools in code and assets," which also includes merge request documentation, bug reports, and translation. It also desires a ban on vibe-coding and for people not to cover AI as a topic in community spaces such as Planet KDE and Akademy. While the KDE for People website has accrued a lot of signatures, it also appears to have its fair share of naysayers. At the time of writing, the original thread on Kreddit has attracted neutral to negative opinions on the petition. While it's too early to say for sure, it seems there's a schism slowly opening within the KDE community, and which side people take depends on whether the developers vote to adopt or reject AI.