diff --git a/content/blog/entries/2025-12-01-avoiding-gen-ai-tools/contents.lr b/content/blog/entries/2025-12-01-avoiding-gen-ai-tools/contents.lr new file mode 100644 index 00000000..4caa354d --- /dev/null +++ b/content/blog/entries/2025-12-01-avoiding-gen-ai-tools/contents.lr @@ -0,0 +1,91 @@ +title: Avoiding generative AI development tools +--- +categories: +community +open-source +--- +author: TimidRobot +--- +series: +--- +pub_date: 2025-12-01 +--- +body: + +At this time, the Creative Commons (CC) **Technology team** has concluded that +generative AI development tooling does not pass a cost/benefit analysis *for +contributing to our open source projects*. Until further notice, we will not +accept CC Open Source submissions that include code or content generated with +AI. + + +## Overhyped + +Generative AI productivity claims are often championed (and paid for) by those +who reap a material benefit from adoption of AI tooling. Adoption rates are +inflated by a lack of choice when AI tools are included by default and often +cannot be disabled (EditorDavid, 2025). We’ve observed that arguments for their +adoption too often appeal to a fear of missing out or potential future +benefits. + + +## Inefficiency and slop + +Our current evaluation of generative AI development tooling is that it does not +offer a benefit to our open source projects nor to the user of the AI tooling. +Indeed, "when developers use AI tools, they take 19% longer than without—AI +makes them slower." (METR, 2025). A recent report from MIT NANDA indicates +"that 95% of organizations are getting zero return [from generative AI]." +(Challapally et al., 2025). AI tooling enables the creation of spurious work +for reviewers. For example, see the following comment on an AI slop +submission: + +> This code does not call curl. This is not a "POC" of anything than [sic] +> suggesting you did this with an AI and that you do not understand what you're +> doing here. +>
Please identify the exact line of curl source code that has the problem +> you say exists. +>
(badger, 2025) + + +## Counterproductive + +Especially for our contributors, when we participate in work programs like +Google Summer of Code (GSoC) or Outreachy, AI tools train the wrong skills. We +want contributors who are learning the technologies that underpin our open +source projects. + +> I listened to an industry representative say that he wants students to have +> “design thinking and the ability to ask questions” without recognizing that +> the student use of AI tools he advocates will stunt their critical thinking +> skills, making it impossible for them to ask questions and do interesting +> “design thinking.”. +>
(Valeries, 2025) + +## Responsibility and solidarity + +In addition to concerns with how AI development tools might negatively impact +our day-to-day, the Technology team has concerns about how generative AI +technology is created and implemented/deployed. Even if generative AI +development tools were actually helpful, the Technology team would be reluctant +to use tools that were developed in a way that harmed others, that are funded +by deployments/implementations that harm others, and that offer short-term +benefits at an existential cost. + +## References + +- badger. (2025, September 16). Comment on Stack Buffer Overflow in cURL Cookie + Parsing Leads to RCE. curl. + [https://hackerone.com/reports/3340109#activity-36894924](https://hackerone.com/reports/3340109#activity-36894924) +- Challapally, A., Pease, C., Raskar, R., Chari, P., (2025, July). The GenAI + Divide: STATE OF AI IN BUSINESS 2025. MIT NANDA. + [https://www.artificialintelligence-news.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/ai_report_2025.pdf](https://www.artificialintelligence-news.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/ai_report_2025.pdf) +- EditorDavid. (2025, May 31). GitHub Users Angry at the Prospect of AI-Written + Issues From Copilot. Slashdot. + [https://developers.slashdot.org/story/25/06/01/0049240/github-users-angry-at-the-prospect-of-ai-written-issues-from-copilot](https://developers.slashdot.org/story/25/06/01/0049240/github-users-angry-at-the-prospect-of-ai-written-issues-from-copilot) +- METR. (2025, July 10). Measuring the Impact of Early-2025 AI on Experienced + Open-Source Developer Productivity. METR. + [https://metr.org/blog/2025-07-10-early-2025-ai-experienced-os-dev-study/](https://metr.org/blog/2025-07-10-early-2025-ai-experienced-os-dev-study/) +- Valeries, Barr. (2025, August 29). Feeling Cranky About AI and CS Education. + Communications of the ACM. + [https://cacm.acm.org/blogcacm/feeling-cranky-about-ai-and-cs-education/](https://cacm.acm.org/blogcacm/feeling-cranky-about-ai-and-cs-education/)