Re: [MAINTAINERS SUMMIT] Annotating patches containing AI-assisted code

["Paul E. McKenney" <paulmck@kernel.org>]

On Thu, Aug 21, 2025 at 09:52:29PM +0200, Mauro Carvalho Chehab wrote:
> Em Thu, 21 Aug 2025 15:07:57 -0400
> Steven Rostedt <rostedt@goodmis.org> escreveu:
> 
> > On Thu, 21 Aug 2025 20:32:59 +0200
> > Mauro Carvalho Chehab <mchehab+huawei@kernel.org> wrote:
> > 
> > > Btw, even in the case of a bigger pattern you saw there and you
> > > may be repeating, you won't be the only one doing it: an entire
> > > generation that used K&C textbook are also repeating them. Plus
> > > the ones that used newer books whose authors got inspired from
> > > it.  
> > 
> > Since the authors actively encouraged people to use their examples, there's
> > no incentive to go after anyone.
> 
> True.
> 
> > > In practice, even with the original book's copyright, I doubt
> > > anyone could actually enforce copyrights if one picks one of the
> > > book's code and use as-is (and more likely one would adjust
> > > coding style, parameter pass logic, etc).  
> > 
> > I'm not so sure. But since most people who write coding books want people
> > to use their work, there's been no precedence on someone going after
> > someone for using code from a book (that I know of).
> > 
> > But there's a lot of assumptions in this thread, and I fear that those that
> > take a too lenient approach to AI may get burned by it.
> 
> AI is new, so yeah, there's always a risk. But then again, there's a
> risk already without it. I don't think the risk is too much different.
> Perhaps it is even lower, as all major companies are investing in AI,
> and they don't want to be sued. Plus, they're much more interested on
> the direct revenue AI can produce for them. So, probably there aren't
> much intent to try costly legal actions with low chances to monetize
> by going  after people using AI.

Let's please be realistic.  There isn't just a tiny bit of legal risk.
Instead, there are multiple lawsuits currently in flight on the status
of AI-generated material.

							Thanx, Paul