The Linux kernel project published formal guidance for AI-assisted contributions, including attribution tags, licensing rules, and DCO restrictions.
The Linux kernel project released an official documentation page governing how AI tools can assist with kernel contributions. Key rules: all AI-assisted code must comply with GPL-2.0-only, AI agents cannot add Signed-off-by tags (humans must certify the Developer Certificate of Origin), and contributors must use a new 'Assisted-by' tag format listing the AI tool name and model version. This is the kernel community's first formal acknowledgment that AI is now a meaningful part of its development pipeline.
The Linux kernel now has a hard rule: any patch where AI helped write code requires an 'Assisted-by: AGENT_NAME:MODEL_VERSION' tag. No tag means non-compliant submission. More critically, AI agents cannot self-certify the Developer Certificate of Origin — you, the human, must add the Signed-off-by tag and legally vouch for the code. This also means every AI-assisted contribution is now permanently logged in kernel history with the specific model used.
If you contribute to the Linux kernel using any AI tool, audit your last 3 patch submissions and verify they either include the correct Assisted-by tag or confirm no AI was used — a missing tag on a merged patch is now a compliance gap.
Open your terminal and navigate to your local Linux kernel repo clone
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