As Ubuntu embraces AI, Debian discusses banning all AI-generated code

Published Jul 25, 2026, 1:41 AM 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 Debian opened a General Resolution to decide whether to allow AI-generated or AI-assisted code. Proposal A seeks to ban all LLM-generated and assisted code, citing copyright, quality, community, and ethics. Proposal B permits AI code if submitters declare usage, ensure copyright-free work, and take responsibility. The rapid development of LLM coding tools has forced the open-source community to ask itself the question: does AI belong in the world of FOSS? How much AI belongs? Are AI-powered tools allowed? What about AI-generated code? Ubuntu has already opened the gates for AI-powered snaps, but the topic of LLM-generated code is now on the docket for Debian. If one of the proposals passes, it should mean a huge shift in how Linux developers create code. Debian moves to ban all AI-generated content The alternative option isn't to allow vibe-coded software, though Debian has officially opened up a General Resolution on the topic of AI-created code. There are two proposals: Proposal A aims to remove all AI-generated code, including AI-assisted code, while Proposal B wants to allow AI code with some caveats. Proposal A starts strong: Debian has a well-earned reputation for stability. This stability is crucial to Debian's position in the free software ecosystem. It is our belief that widespread LLM usage comes from the "move fast, and break things" attitude that, while common in many parts of this industry, is contrary to what makes Debian Debian, and is inappropriate for Debian contributors. Proposal A cites four issues with using AI-generated code. The first is copyright; the post states that LLM code has an "unclear legal status" and that Debian would prefer code was submitted with clear copyright terms. The post says that human-generated code with murky copyright status is rejected, so LLM code should be no different. The second is quality. Proposal A claims that "an LLM can never "know" if its output is correct since it merely produces syntactically likely combinations of the training data," and that while that's "good enough" for general use, "In Debian, it is not." The proposal claims that an AI would not keep up with Debian's shifting guidelines and would resort to archived code that uses outdated practices. The third is community. Proposal A states that Debian is very community-focused, and that "New contributors submitting LLM output for review places an unnecessary strain on the reviewer" and doesn't teach the submitter about how Debian works or how to code for it. The fourth is ethics. Proposal A claims that LLM companies are unethical in their practices "by scraping the whole web for training data without any regard for license, copyright, or even established conventions such as robots.txt." It also points to agent activity causing an accidental DDoS attack against Debian in the past and cites issues with the environmental impact of data centers. In the other corner, Proposal B seems to lay out something similar to how AI-generated code is handled on the Linux kernel. The proposal allows for AI-generated code, only as long as the submitter takes all accountability for it, ensures it's free of copyright, and declares any LLM usage. The topic is currently being discussed, so we'll have to wait and see which way Debian will go in this new frontier.