Direct link to the LLM Policy Discussion: https://invent.kde.org/plasma/plasma-workspace/-/work_items/187
Example of KDE dev rejecting environmental consideration:
Example of KDE devs not wanting to require LLM use be disclosed.
And all of this is coming right after the debacle with an AI slop project being allowed to give a presentation at Akademy, and the person asking how this was allowed being blocked by KDE:
https://lemmy.nz/post/42029517
as well as the discussion thread bringing up legitimate concerns about AI usage being closed:
https://discuss.kde.org/t/sorry-to-bring-up-a-contentious-topic-kde-ai-llm-policy/46333/164
As someone who genuinely loves KDE, and has even donated to the project multiple times, I sadly have to accept that the majority of KDE have hopped onto the Pro-AI train, and they will not be dissuaded otherwise.
I am locking the thread because I consider this cherry picking comments from KDE maintainers misinformation. Let’s wait and see where they go… The discussion as to include gen AI code, in which ways, how much, etc. is something that many projects (if not all) are undergoing. Let’s be respectful to their open decision processes! This respectfulness needs to be regardless of whether we agree or not with what they do. Once they make a decision, sure, go ahead with flaming commentaries and endorsing alternatives or forks (if they appeared)
If slop coding is so great why is everyone so adamant about hiding it from users?
If you’re not willing to disclose something, maybe take that as a hint.
I feel like using ai is like using drugs, they’re bad, but regulating them is muuuuuuuch better than just prohibiting, people will use it anyways.
It’s not a one to one comparison but I feel encouraging witch hunts will definitely do more harm than normalizing it.
To be clear, I don’t want it either, I’m acknowledging it’s the lesser of two evils.
This is EXTREMELY disappointing. KDE is my favourite DE.
This. Dunno where I’m going to go once KDE starts collapsing under the weight of AI slop. XFCE maybe? Do they have an AI policy? What’s Cosmic looking like these days?
Maybe you should reconsider your outdated views instead. Why are you even using linux to begin with, considering the kernel also allows “ai slop”?
Outdated views, huh? Tell me you’re deluded without telling me.
Not sure how this affects what I said. Having an anti-ai policy simply doesn’t work, you’d know that if you worked on any open source projects at all. There’s a reason all sane projects, like linux and now kde, end up accepting AI code. You can keep retreating to the next DE/WM until there’s none left but the ultra niche whose entire point is it doesn’t use AI, but it also has no contributor.
That’s like telling a vegan to update their views and eat meat.
There are many legitimate reasons to want to avoid AI code and avoid encouraging corporate AI use. Not all of us have to adopt your views on AI.
The differerence is being a vegan affects you, and the world is pretty accomodating to it. Vegan options everywhere these days. Non-AI repos are getting ultrarare and will only get more so.
Using a project with AI code simply doesn’t affect you. KDE is open source, using it doesn’t contribute to anything, doesn’t encourage and AI corporation, doesn’t contribute to water/power usage during training, etc… If the maintainers check the PRs propely you won’t be affected whatsoever.
the policy in question:
The golden rule for LLM usage in KDE is Don’t be lazy:
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Don’t try to use a tool to replace your own judgment, interpersonal communication, or learning process.
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Don’t take unsustainable shortcuts.
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Don’t avoid growing as a person.
The result will be poor-quality work that eventually becomes someone else’s problem.
Nobody in KDE should know if you use an LLM — not because you’re concealing it, but because your usage of it produces output indistinguishable from what you could produce yourself. Contributions with obvious and lazy LLM usage may be ignored or closed.
Using an LLM to generate contributions
KDE follows a “human in the loop” principle: you must be making decisions and adjustments beyond mere prompting. The output must express your unique humanity in some way.
- Don’t be a “meat proxy”. For example:
- Don’t submit throwaway LLM-created changes as a “first draft or proof-of-concept for maintainers to improve”.
- Don’t submit “vibe-coded” changes you don’t understand and couldn’t make yourself.
- Don’t disclose LLM usage as a way of trying to excuse the potential errors or poor quality of a contribution that you haven’t put much effort into.
- Don’t add “Assisted-by: [some LLM]” tags to your commits; it’s just free advertising for the LLM’s provider.
(emphasis original, except for the fourth bullet point)
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