Re: Ballot option: Debian is created by humans

Holger Levsen <[email protected]> Tue, 11 Aug 2026 18:25:37 +0000
Newsgroups	gmane.linux.debian.devel.vote
Message-ID	<[email protected]>
On Tue, Aug 11, 2026 at 04:10:00PM +0200, Gard Spreemann wrote:
> ----- 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 -----

thanks for preparing this, Gard. Seconded.


-- 
cheers,
	Holger

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