The r/opensource forum excludes AI and limits access to members

The subreddit r/opensource has published new rules banning AI-related projects and restricting access to posts. Non-English speakers are encouraged to leave, while seniority and contribution criteria are being added. The community is reacting strongly, even launching r/trueopensource.

New Constraints: Seniority, Team, and English Required

The moderators of r/opensource have tightened the publication conditions. Proposed projects must be at least one year old, actively maintained, and have multiple contributors. Requests to recruit maintainers or contributors are no longer accepted. Furthermore, the message states that individuals who do not speak English should "find another community." The moderators explain that they cannot distinguish between text written by AI and text translated by AI, and that without proficiency in English, it is impossible to verify the quality of the translation.

Immediate Reaction: Heated Debate and r/trueopensource Launched

The announcement of the new rules has sparked numerous comments and led to the creation of a competing subreddit, r/trueopensource. Several community members believe the rules are too broad, vague, or misdirected. Some remind that the Linux kernel now contains code generated by AI, which could lead to the exclusion of important projects. Moderator Wolvereness clarified that there are possible exceptions, particularly for accessibility features using AI, such as automatic captioning.

Scope of the AI Ban Clarified by Moderators

The new rules prohibit the publication of projects using AI, created by AI, or intended for AI. The message published Saturday night states that AI, in its current state, is not compatible with the open-source community of the subreddit.