Re: Claude AI code audit of GNUstep core stack — 1 50 fixes, 12 perf optimizations, all available for upstream

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Riccardo/David,

I emailed Richard Stallman about our discussion and forwarded the current
policy, as we had discussed it on the other list, to him.

My previous emails made my position very clear:

   - GNUstep should evaluate contributions based on their licensing,
   quality, correctness, review, provenance, and maintainability=E2=80=94no=
t on the
   development tools used to create them.
   - There is no reliable, objective way to distinguish AI-assisted code
   from human-written code, making a blanket "No-AI" policy difficult to
   define, enforce, and apply fairly.
   - The existing AI policy strikes the right balance by requiring
   responsible disclosure while allowing maintainers to continue judging
   submissions on their technical merits.

Additionally, the case I cited (
https://www.scotusblog.com/cases/thaler-v-perlmutter/) makes it clear that
we should not accept code that is composed in its entirety by AI because,
given the ruling in that case, provenance is dubious.  I believe it's okay
to use in a limited sense for fixing bugs, writing boilerplate code (e.g.
anything that is repetitive), but that entire classes, etc. should not be
allowed and, if they are, then the author must be able to fully understand
and explain the code.

Yours, GC

On Wed, Jul 15, 2026 at 10:57=E2=80=AFAM Riccardo Mottola <
[email protected]> wrote:

> Hi David,
>
>
> David Chisnall wrote:
> > This week, EMACS paused =E2=80=98AI=E2=80=99 contributions because the =
GNU project is
> expected to provide an explicit policy soon. I presume that policy will
> apply to GNUstep as well.
>
> Didn't know that... there is so much influx about this topic and mostly
> I need to be "work biased".
>
> I'm curious to read what it will be for GNU. It makes sense, as I
> pointed out myself.
>
> I hope it will be strict but not unreasonable. Many aspects need to be
> covered, not just different types of "contribution" to the project
> itself, but I guess also connection to external providers, etc etc. Way
> beyond the original intent of code contribution to GNUstep I started
> this topic for.
>
> Riccardo
>


--=20
Gregory Casamento
GNUstep Lead Developer / Black Lotus, Principal Consultant
http://www.gnustep.org - http://heronsperch.blogspot.com
https://www.openhub.net/languages/objective_c

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<div dir=3D"ltr"><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-family:monospac=
e,monospace">Riccardo/David,</div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"fon=
t-family:monospace,monospace"><br></div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=
=3D"font-family:monospace,monospace">I emailed Richard Stallman about our d=
iscussion and forwarded=C2=A0the current policy, as we had discussed it on =
the other list, to him.</div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-fam=
ily:monospace,monospace"><br></div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"fo=
nt-family:monospace,monospace">My previous emails made my position very cle=
ar:</div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D""><ul style=3D""><li style=
=3D""><span style=3D"background-color:transparent"><font face=3D"monospace"=
>GNUstep should evaluate contributions based on their licensing, quality, c=
orrectness, review, provenance, and maintainability=E2=80=94not on the deve=
lopment tools used to create them.</font></span></li><li style=3D""><span s=
tyle=3D"background-color:transparent"><font face=3D"monospace">There is no =
reliable, objective way to distinguish AI-assisted code from human-written =
code, making a blanket &quot;No-AI&quot; policy difficult to define, enforc=
e, and apply fairly.</font></span></li><li style=3D""><span style=3D"backgr=
ound-color:transparent"><font face=3D"monospace" style=3D"">The existing AI=
 policy strikes the right balance by requiring responsible disclosure while=
 allowing maintainers to continue judging submissions on their technical me=
rits.</font></span></li></ul><div><font face=3D"monospace">Additionally, th=
e case I cited (<a href=3D"https://www.scotusblog.com/cases/thaler-v-perlmu=
tter/">https://www.scotusblog.com/cases/thaler-v-perlmutter/</a>) makes it =
clear that we should not accept code that is composed in its entirety by AI=
 because, given the ruling in that case, provenance is dubious.=C2=A0 I bel=
ieve it&#39;s okay to use in a limited sense for fixing bugs, writing boile=
rplate=C2=A0code (e.g. anything that is repetitive), but that entire classe=
s, etc. should not be allowed and, if they are, then the author must be abl=
e to fully understand and explain the code.</font></div><div><font face=3D"=
monospace"><br></font></div><div><font face=3D"monospace">Yours, GC</font><=
/div></div></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div =
dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Wed, Jul 15, 2026 at 10:57=E2=80=AFAM R=
iccardo Mottola &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">riccardo.=
[email protected]</a>&gt; wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote"=
 style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);p=
adding-left:1ex">Hi David,<br>
<br>
<br>
David Chisnall wrote:<br>
&gt; This week, EMACS paused =E2=80=98AI=E2=80=99 contributions because the=
 GNU project is expected to provide an explicit policy soon. I presume that=
 policy will apply to GNUstep as well.<br>
<br>
Didn&#39;t know that... there is so much influx about this topic and mostly=
 <br>
I need to be &quot;work biased&quot;.<br>
<br>
I&#39;m curious to read what it will be for GNU. It makes sense, as I <br>
pointed out myself.<br>
<br>
I hope it will be strict but not unreasonable. Many aspects need to be <br>
covered, not just different types of &quot;contribution&quot; to the projec=
t <br>
itself, but I guess also connection to external providers, etc etc. Way <br=
>
beyond the original intent of code contribution to GNUstep I started <br>
this topic for.<br>
<br>
Riccardo<br>
</blockquote></div><div><br clear=3D"all"></div><div><br></div><span class=
=3D"gmail_signature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_s=
ignature"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div><div dir=3D"ltr"><font fac=
e=3D"monospace">Gregory Casamento<br>GNUstep Lead Developer / Black Lotus, =
Principal Consultant<br><a href=3D"http://www.gnustep.org" target=3D"_blank=
">http://www.gnustep.org</a> - <a href=3D"http://heronsperch.blogspot.com" =
target=3D"_blank">http://heronsperch.blogspot.com</a><br></font></div></div=
><div dir=3D"ltr"><font color=3D"#888888" face=3D"monospace"><a href=3D"htt=
ps://www.openhub.net/languages/objective_c" style=3D"color:rgb(17,85,204)" =
target=3D"_blank">https://www.openhub.net/languages/objective_c</a></font><=
/div></div></div></div>

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