I sponsor the below ballot option. I think this is a useful distinction to vote on that isn't already covered by the existing options.
Gard Spreemann <[email protected]> writes: > ----- BEGIN BALLOT OPTION ----- > # Debian is created by humans > ## Preamble > This proposal aims to ensure that contributions directly to Debian are > created by humans, while at the same time avoiding restrictions on the > tools those humans may choose to use when contributing. > The proposal deals with *direct* contributions to Debian, including, but > not limited to: > * Debian packaging > * Submissions (messages, bug reports, patches, etc.) to the BTS, Salsa, > mailing lists and other Debian platforms > * Debian project software > * Debian infrastructure > * Debian web resources > * Documentation and translation added as part of contributing to Debian > * Official communication from Debian > The proposal does not cover *indirect* contributions, i.e. those > originating from upstream works. > Generative AI is characterized by producing output of a nature that > would ordinarily be produced and consumed by humans. The proposal seeks > to restrict this output itself from entering Debian (except possibly > indirectly, from upstream). It does not seek to restrict Debian > contributors from consuming such output as part of contributing to > Debian. > ## Rationale > Debian has a well-earned reputation for stability. This stability is > crucial to its position in the free software ecosystem. It is our belief > that a significant part of this stability comes from Debian contributors > having mutual understanding, trust and respect for each others' work and > precious time. Generative AI tends to come with practical, legal, > ethical or ecological concerns that warrant care or extra work that > often ends up being borne by people other than those wielding the AI. We > believe that this asymmetry between contributors leveraging generative > AI to produce material, and those humans who bear that extra care and > work, will erode the project's mutual understanding, trust and respect. > While Debian has a long-standing tradition of strict rules for what goes > into the distribution, it does not typically dictate what tools people > use when contributing to the project. With this principle in mind, the > proposal does not affect the use of generative AI as an assisitive tool > to explore, research, analyze, critique, etc., when contributing. The > responsibilities that come with using the output of an AI in such a role > is then not transferred onto the wider project in the same problematic > way as when the output itself is the contribution. > ## Proposal > In order to safeguard the project's mutual understanding, trust and > respect, we disallow the output of generative AI as direct contributions > to Debian. > Those who use such tools assistively in their work are reminded to > ensure that the resulting contribution is in line with the DFSG and the > Social Contract in general. > In summary, humans create Debian. > ## Acknowledgements > This proposal is inspired by GCC's AI Policy [1] and rust-lang's LLM > Usage Policy [2]. Its wording is influenced by another ballot > option [3]. > [1] https://gcc.gnu.org/ai-policy.html > [2] https://forge.rust-lang.org/policies/llm-usage.html > [3] https://www.debian.org/vote/2026/vote_002#texta > ----- END BALLOT OPTION ----- -- Russ Allbery ([email protected]) <https://www.eyrie.org/~eagle/>
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