Hey guys...
This is based on a PR I submitted a while ago and on personal experience...
please note below. This is our unofficial policy on AI generated
submissions:
---
# Policy: Use of AI-Generated Content in GNUstep
## 1. Purpose
GNUstep welcomes contributions that improve the project's codebase,
documentation, tests, and developer tooling. This policy establishes
requirements for contributions created with the assistance of generative
AI systems (for example, code suggestions, documentation drafts,
translations, or refactor proposals), with the goal of preserving
quality, maintainability, licensing clarity, and security.
## 2. Scope
While many of these policies apply to contributions in general,
this policy applies to all AI-assisted content proposed for inclusion in
GNUstep project assets, including but not limited to:
- Source code (Objective-C, C, C++, scripts, build tooling)
- Documentation (README files, manuals, web pages, tutorials)
- Tests, CI configurations, and project metadata
- Issue comments, design proposals, and merge request content intended
to become authoritative project guidance
## 3. Guiding Principle
AI tools may be used as assistive drafting aids. Contributors remain
fully responsible for the accuracy, safety, quality, and licensing
compliance with anything they submit.
## 4. Mandatory Independent Verification and Enhanced Review
While we welcome AI-assisted contributions, it is important to remember
that AI can and does make mistakes based on its training. Because of this
AI-assisted contributions are subject to heightened scrutiny and must
undergo rigorous, independent human validation before acceptance.
### 4.1 Independent Human Verification
AI can make mistakes. It can produce runnable, but messy/unmaintainable
code. Because of this, the contributor and the reviewer/maintainer must
both thoroughly review the code. As with any code, the contributor is
requested and required to be responsible for the code that is
AI-generated.
These responsibilities apply to normal contributions as well, but there
are special considerations for AI-generated contributions.
#### 4.2 Contributor responsibilities
All AI-assisted contributions MUST include tests
The contributor must:
- Never open a PR before reviewing the code.
- If the code doesn't make sense to you or you can't explain it,
it WILL be rejected. (AKA DON'T COMMIT MESSY CODE TO OUR REPO!)
- A description of what is being tested
- Why is the test good enough?
- What failures is this test guarding against?
- Ensure that Apple-specific coding conventions are NOT being
used as the project also uses GCC.
## 5. Disclosure Requirement
Contributors should disclose AI assistance when it materially shaped the
submission (for example, where significant portions of code or
an AI system drafted documentation).
Disclosure may be included in:
- The merge request or pull request description
- The commit message
Disclosure is intended to assist reviewers in calibrating review depth,
not to discourage responsible use of tooling.
## 6. Prohibited Uses
These are requirements under normal circumstances, but they are
emphasized here.
AI-generated content must not be used to:
- Introduce material whose origin or licensing cannot be reasonably
verified
- Generate security-critical logic (e.g., cryptography,
authentication, privilege boundaries) without expert human review
- Fabricate references, test results, benchmarks, or performance
claims
## 7. Contributor Responsibilities
Anyone submitting AI-assisted content must be prepared to:
- Explain clearly what the change does and why it is correct
- Provide reproduction steps, tests, or benchmarks when relevant
- Revise or withdraw a submission if concerns arise regarding
correctness, security, maintainability, or licensing
## 8. Governance Record
This policy reflects project governance discussion, including discussion
with Fred Kiefer during the meeting held on Saturday, February 14.
## 9. Effective Date and Updates
This policy becomes effective upon inclusion in the GNUstep repository.
Updates should be discussed publicly (for example, via mailing list,
issue tracker, or project meeting) before adoption.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
### References
- GNU Coding Standards -- GNU Project
https://www.gnu.org/prep/standards/standards.html
- Free Software Foundation Licensing Resources
https://www.fsf.org/licensing/
- OpenAI Usage Policies (general guidance on responsible AI use)
https://openai.com/policies/
---
Yours, GC
--
Gregory Casamento
GNUstep Lead Developer / Black Lotus, Principal Consultant
http://www.gnustep.org - http://heronsperch.blogspot.com
https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=352392 - Become a Patron
https://www.openhub.net/languages/objective_c
https://www.gofundme.com/f/cacao-linux-a-gnustep-reference-implementation
