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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