r/opensource bans AI projects, and much more
r/opensource is a big Reddit forum for free software projects. On Saturday evening, its moderators posted new rules. The first line: 'If your project uses AI, is made by AI, or is intended for AI, it's not welcome.' They say AI, as it exists today, does not fit open source values.
The rules go further. The Verge says they also ban non-English speakers, and the Hacker News title says solo projects are banned too. The story got 88 points and 111 comments, and many people find the new rules too broad.
This fits a pattern we saw Friday, with polls showing public pushback against AI. Now the pushback comes from inside the tech community.
Open source is where many AI tools are born. If its communities split over AI, it changes who builds the free tools we all use. Banning non-English speakers also hurts people like me and many readers.
