It is difficult to overstate the impact of generative AI on software engineering. In the report Navigating Open Source Software Development in the Generative AI Era, OpenSSF joins LF Research, Red Hat, Futurewei, and LF AI & Data to investigate how AI tools are impacting open source development workflows, and how maintainers and developers are experiencing this shift.
The findings reveal that 1 in 4 incoming pull requests are low-quality “AI slop,” driving maintainer burnout to the #1 concern for large projects. Additionally, only 1 in 3 projects have formal AI contribution policies. However, developers see 19%–52% time savings using AI across tasks.
Maintainers and contributors must transition from reactive management to clear AI governance and verification systems to help keep open source secure and sustainable.
Authors
- Sam Boysel, The Linux Foundation
- Anni Lai, Generative AI Commons
- Foreword by Brian Proffitt, Red Hat
Additional Resources
- Open Data
- DOI: 10.70828/BUHS3754
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