Re: Ballet Option "Responsible use of Generative AI" (was: Draft permissive ballot option) from Debian)

Soren Stoutner <[email protected]> Tue, 28 Jul 2026 13:29:10 -0700
Newsgroups	gmane.linux.debian.devel.vote
Organization	Debian
Message-ID	<2920486.BEx9A2HvPv@soren-desktop>
I second the ballot option quoted below.  Marc, thank you for taking the time 
to draft it.

On Tuesday, July 28, 2026 12:51:33 PM Mountain Standard Time Marc Haber wrote:
> Here is my suggestion for a permissive ballot option. Disclaimer:
> generative AI and manual review of the output was used in preparing this
> option.
> 
> BALLOT OPTION
> 
> **Responsible Use of Generative AI**
> 
> Using its power under Constitution section 4.1 (5), the project issues
> the following statement describing its current position on AI-assisted
> contributions. This statement describes the position of the project at
> the time it is adopted. That position may evolve as time passes without
> the need to resort to future general resolutions. The GR process remains
> available if the project needs a decision and cannot come to a
> consensus.
> 
> Debian neither endorses nor prohibits the use of generative AI tools in
> the development, maintenance, or documentation of software, packaging,
> documentation, and other media published within the Debian Project. We
> recognize that such tools can substantially improve the productivity of
> contributors when used responsibly, allowing volunteers to spend more of
> their limited time on work that requires technical expertise, judgment,
> review, and collaboration.
> 
> The Debian Project nevertheless expects that all contributions submitted
> to Debian, regardless of how and with which tools they were produced,
> satisfy the same standards of quality, correctness, maintainability, and
> legal compliance. The use of a generative AI tool does not diminish the
> contributor's responsibility for the work they submit. Contributors are
> expected to understand, review, test, and, where appropriate, modify
> AI-assisted output before incorporating it into Debian. Blindly
> accepting or uploading AI-generated material without appropriate human
> review is inconsistent with Debian's established development practices.
> We enourage our contributors to disclose whether a contribution was made
> with AI assitance, but do not require them to do so.
> 
> Debian acknowledges that the legal status of material produced by
> generative AI systems remains the subject of ongoing discussion in many
> jurisdictions, including questions relating to copyright, authorship,
> licensing, and potential reproduction of training material. The Project
> does not seek to resolve these unsettled legal questions through this
> General Resolution, nor does it adopt a position on whether AI-generated
> output is, in whole or in part, copyrightable or derived from
> copyrighted works.
> 
> Instead, Debian continues to rely on the judgment and responsibility of
> its individual contributors. Project members are expected to exercise
> appropriate care when using generative AI tools, to consider the
> provenance and licensing implications of material they contribute, and
> to avoid introducing content whose legal status they cannot reasonably
> justify. Existing Debian policies governing licensing, copyright,
> software freedom, and the acceptance of contributions continue to apply
> irrespective of the tools used to produce those contributions.
> 
> Contributors are expected to exercise appropriate care when designing
> and implementing workflows that incorporate generative AI tools. In
> particular, they should ensure that confidential information, private
> communications, security-sensitive information (such as embargoed
> information about security bugs that is not yet public), cryptographic
> keys, credentials, and other non-public material relating to the Debian
> Project, its infrastructure, or its community are not disclosed to
> third-party AI services unless such disclosure has been explicitly
> authorized and is consistent with Debian's security and privacy
> requirements.
> 
> The use of generative AI does not alter Debian's established
> expectations regarding large-scale or automated project actions.
> Contributors intending to perform actions with broad project impact,
> such as mass bug filing or patch submission, large-scale code
> modifications, or other automated changes or requests affecting many
> packages or contributors, should seek prior discussion and consensus
> through the appropriate project channels before proceeding. Any such
> automated process should be overseen by a human who remains accountable
> for its behavior and output.
> 
> This resolution therefore affirms that generative AI is neither exempt
> from nor subject to special rules beyond the standards already expected
> of Debian contributors. The responsibility for every contribution rests
> with the contributor who submits it, who remains accountable for its
> technical quality, legal acceptability, and suitability for inclusion in
> Debian.
> 
> 
> END BALLOT OPTION


-- 
Soren Stoutner
[email protected]
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