Science & Tech · Big Tech & Internet · 1 hr ago
Reddit’s r/opensource bans AI-related projects and adds posting limits
Moderators of Reddit’s r/opensource banned AI-related projects over the weekend, saying AI does not fit the community.
The rule covers projects that use AI, are made by AI or are intended for AI.
Posts must also meet new age and contributor limits: projects must be at least a year old, actively maintained and have multiple contributors, while the poster’s account must also be at least a year old.
The requirements can exclude solo developers, including one who said their nine-year-old, non-AI project no longer qualifies because they maintain it alone.
The rules also tell people who do not speak English to find another community, a restriction criticized by users and a moderator.
Members say the AI ban may affect major open-source projects, including Linux, because AI has been used in kernel development; moderators say enforcement is discretionary.
A rival subreddit, r/TrueOpenSource, has been created for people who want an AI-tolerant open-source community.
Moderators of Reddit’s r/opensource subreddit have banned projects that use AI, are made by AI or are intended for AI.
New rules also require projects to be at least a year old, actively maintained and have multiple contributors.
The restrictions exclude some solo developers, including maintainers of long-running projects, and bar people who do not speak English.
The moderators say AI is incongruent with the community and that they cannot distinguish AI-written text from AI-translated text.
The rules prompted criticism and led to the creation of a rival subreddit, r/TrueOpenSource.
- Who
- Moderators of Reddit’s r/opensource, including moderator Wolvereness, set the rules. Subreddit users and some developers have objected.
- What
- The subreddit banned projects that use AI, are made by AI or are intended for AI, and introduced other submission restrictions.
- When
- The new rules were posted on Saturday, October 24, 2026.
- Where
- The rules apply to r/opensource on Reddit.
- Why
- The moderators said AI, as it exists today, is incongruent with the community. They also said they cannot distinguish between AI-written and AI-translated text.
r/opensource moderators
Critics of the rules
AI projects
r/opensource moderators
The moderators say projects that use AI, are made by AI or are intended for AI are not welcome.
Critics of the rules
Critics say AI use does not determine whether software is open source and argue the ban is too broad or vague.
Eligibility rules
r/opensource moderators
The moderators require projects to be at least a year old, actively maintained and have multiple contributors.
Critics of the rules
Critics say the requirements exclude solo developers, including those maintaining established projects.
Language rule
r/opensource moderators
The moderators say people who do not speak English should find a different community because they cannot distinguish AI-written from AI-translated text.
Critics of the rules
Critics say excluding non-English speakers is unfair and object to barring translated English.
Moderators posted the new submission rules for r/opensource.
Coverage of the rules described criticism from users and the creation of the rival subreddit r/TrueOpenSource.
- AI restriction
- Projects that use AI, are made by AI or are intended for AI are barred
- Project age
- At least 1 year old
- Contributor requirement
- Multiple contributors; Help Net Security reports the rule as “subjectively 3+
- Account age
- Posters’ Reddit accounts must be at least 1 year old
- Language rule
- Non-English speakers are told to find a different community
4 sources
What people are saying
If your project uses AI, is made by AI, or is intended for AI, it’s not welcome on r/opensource. AI, as it exists today, is incongruent to this Open Source community.
There’s no ‘objective’ way to implement this policy.
I don’t agree with that rule. Especially so with how it was said.
It’s OK to not like AI but it doesn’t change whether something is open source or not. I guess Linux is no longer allowed here? Linus uses AI for kernel development now. This is a ridiculous stance.
Posts on X
The r/OpenSource subreddit has officially banned anything using AI. In any way. Violators will be permanently banned. Which means… r/OpenSource will ban anyone submitting anything that, in any way, involves… the Linux kernel. https://t.co/cxqm0yHlFT