System76 restricts ai-generated code contributions in cosmic project

System76 has updated the PR template for its COSMIC project, introducing a mandatory checklist that prohibits contributors from submitting code assisted by AI. Contributors must confirm that their submissions contain no AI-generated code, comments, or descriptions, or they will be unable to submit their contributions. COSMIC is a Linux desktop environment developed by System76 using Rust, replacing its previous reliance on GNOME due to long-standing design disagreements. System76 previously criticized AI-generated code for being overly complex, arguing that AI lacks the context to understand large projects, leading to hard-to-maintain code and increased review times. The only codebase exempt from this rule is cosmic-flatpak, which manages software tightly integrated with COSMIC. System76 is not alone in restricting AI contributions; Ladybird, a browser project, also banned AI-generated code in June after facing high maintenance costs. Both projects face challenges in maintaining large open-source codebases, as AI-generated code still requires human oversight. By restricting AI contributions, they aim to reduce long-term maintenance burdens. The decision reflects a growing trend among open-source projects to limit AI involvement in code contributions.