Linus Torvalds, the renowned creator of Linux and Git, recently shared his thoughts on the current state of Linux and the potential impact of artificial intelligence on its future at the Open Source Summit Japan, held on December 5-6. As reported by ZDnet, https://www.zdnet.com/article/linus-torvalds-on-state-of-linux-today-and-how-ai-figures-in-its-future/ Torvalds touched on important topics such as the integration of Rust into Linux, the challenges faced by Linux maintainers, and the outlook for the use of artificial intelligence in Linux and open source development.
First, Torvalds discussed the upcoming release of the Linux kernel, version 6.7 . Before leaving for Tokyo, he had already made the fourth release candidate of this kernel available. According to Torvalds, if all goes well, the new version of the operating system will be released around Christmas. Although initially reluctant to set a release window so close to the holiday season, to avoid ruining the maintainers' Christmas, Torvalds later clarified:
We are waiting to make sure there are no significant obstacles. We want to ensure that the maintainers and developers who are working towards the next version, 6.8, do not feel pressured knowing that my inclusion window will open after Christmas. Therefore, we may delay by a week or two to make the time more manageable, as no one wants to work during the Christmas period.
A central theme of the discussion was the problem of burnout among Linux kernel maintainers. This essential but extremely demanding role is becoming increasingly burdensome. A related issue is the aging of the Linux kernel community: many maintainers will reach 60 in the next five years, and some will be approaching 70.
Torvalds then addressed the use of the Rust programming language in the Linux kernel, noting that, although Rust's use is growing, there is currently no part of the kernel that depends primarily on it. He predicted that it will be years before Rust becomes a core component of the kernel.
Furthermore, Torvalds expressed optimistic hopes regarding the role of artificial intelligence in software development. He believes that AI can be instrumental in detecting obvious and trivial bugs, thus making programmers' jobs easier.
However, he does not see AI as a revolution in itself, but rather as an additional tool for developers to improve the quality of their work. AI is also likely to play a significant role in the future development of the Linux kernel.
