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We need a clearer framework for AI-assisted contributions to open source

samsaffron.com

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Re: We need a clearer framework for AI-assisted contributions to open source

#41

Post by jcgrillo »

> Some go so far as to say “AI not welcome here” find another project.

This feels extremely counterproductive and fundamentally unenforceable to me.

But it's trivially enforceable. Accept PRs from unverified contributors, look at them for inspiration if you like, but don't ever merge one. It's probably not a satisfying answer, but if you want or need to ensure your project hasn't been infected by AI generated code you need to only accept contributions from people you know and trust.

Re: We need a clearer framework for AI-assisted contributions to open source

#42

Post by kasey_junk »

Bengalilol wrote: post #7

Shouldn't there be guidelines for open source projects where it is clearly stipulated that code submitted for review must follow the project's code format and conventions?

I’ve found LLM coding agents to be quite good at writing linters…

Re: We need a clearer framework for AI-assisted contributions to open source

#43

Post by lapcat »

> That said it is a living demo that can help make an idea feel more real. It is also enormously fun. Think of it as a delightful movie set.

[pedantry] It bothers me that the photo for "think of prototype PRs as movie sets" is clearly not a movie set but rather the set of the TV show Seinfeld. Anyone who watched the show would immediately recognize Jerry's apartment.

Re: We need a clearer framework for AI-assisted contributions to open source

#44

Post by DerThorsten »

lapcat wrote: post #43

> That said it is a living demo that can help make an idea feel more real. It is also enormously fun. Think of it as a delightful movie set. [pedantry] It bothers me that the photo for "think of prototype PRs as movie sets" is clearly not a movie set but rather the set of the TV show Seinfeld. Anyone who watched the show would immediately recognize Jerry's apartment.

Its not the set of the TV show I beliefe, but a recreation.

https://nypost.com/2015/06/23/you-can-now-visit-the-iconic-s...

It looks a bit different wrt. the stuff on the fridge and the items in the cupboard

Re: We need a clearer framework for AI-assisted contributions to open source

#45

Post by bloppe »

Maybe we need open source credit scores. PRs from talented engineers with proven track records of high quality contributions would be presumed good enough for review. Unknown, newer contributors could have a size limit on their PRs, with massive PRs rejected automatically.

Re: We need a clearer framework for AI-assisted contributions to open source

#46

Post by isaacremuant »

Bengalilol wrote: post #7

Shouldn't there be guidelines for open source projects where it is clearly stipulated that code submitted for review must follow the project's code format and conventions?

Code format and conventions are not the problem. It's the complexity of the change without testing, thinking, or otherwise having ownership of your PR.

Some people will absolutely just run something, let the AI work like a wizard and push it in hopes of getting an "open source contribution".

They need to understand due diligence and reduce the overhead of maintainers so that maintainers don't review things before it's really needed.

It's a hard balance to strike, because you do want to make it easy on new contributors, but this is a great conversation to have.

Re: We need a clearer framework for AI-assisted contributions to open source

#47

Post by lapcat »

DerThorsten wrote: post #44
lapcat wrote: post #43

> That said it is a living demo that can help make an idea feel more real. It is also enormously fun. Think of it as a delightful movie set. [pedantry] It bothers me that the photo for "think of prototype PRs as movie sets" is clearly not a movie set but rather the set of the TV show Seinfeld. Anyone who watched the show would immediately recognize Jerry's apartment.

Its not the set of the TV show I beliefe, but a recreation. https://nypost.com/2015/06/23/you-can-now-visit-the-iconic-s... It looks a bit different wrt. the stuff on the fridge and the items in the cupboard

I'm not sure what you mean. Those two photos are very different. The floors are entirely different, the tables are entirely different, one of the chairs/couches is different, even the intercom and light switch are different.

In any case, though, neither one is a movie set.

Re: We need a clearer framework for AI-assisted contributions to open source

#48

Post by selfhoster11 »

bloppe wrote: post #45

Maybe we need open source credit scores. PRs from talented engineers with proven track records of high quality contributions would be presumed good enough for review. Unknown, newer contributors could have a size limit on their PRs, with massive PRs rejected automatically.

We don't need more KYC, no.

Re: We need a clearer framework for AI-assisted contributions to open source

#49

Post by deepsquirrelnet »

softwaredoug wrote: post #11

Anyone else feel like we're cresting the LLM coding hype curve? Like a recognition that there's value there, but we're passing the frothing-at-the-mouth stage of replacing all software engineers?

I think that happened when gpt5 was released and pierced OpenAIs veil. While not a bad model, we found out exactly what Mr. Altman’s words are worth.

Re: We need a clearer framework for AI-assisted contributions to open source

#50

Post by user-the-name »

alwa wrote: post #24
softwaredoug wrote: post #11

Anyone else feel like we're cresting the LLM coding hype curve? Like a recognition that there's value there, but we're passing the frothing-at-the-mouth stage of replacing all software engineers?

It feels that way to me, too—starting to feel closer to maturity. Like Mr. Saffron here, saying “go ham with the AI for prototyping, just communicate that as a demo/branch/video instead of a PR.” It feels like people and projects are moving from a pure “get that slop out of here” attitude toward more nuance, more confidence articulating how to integrate the valuable stuff while excluding the lazy stuff.

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