The Software Freedom Conservancy's LLM-backed generative AI recommendations

The Software FreedomConservancy (SFC) has announcedthe release of its recommendationsfor using LLM-backed generative AI systems for FOSScontributions. The recommendations were created by the SFC andvolunteers from the free-software community.

The recommendations reflect the extremely difficult dilemmas thatthese systems pose for FOSS contributors. SFC and its volunteersunderstand that FOSS developers are approaching LLM-gen-AI from avariety of perspectives. The recommendations offer practicalassistance to minimize the damage caused by using proprietary systems,whether FOSS contributors reject LLM-gen-AI or choose (voluntarily orby employer mandate) to use them.

These recommendations are best practices (but not definitions orrequirements) that SFC and its volunteers formulated after carefulstudy of the growing LLM-gen-AI use among FOSS contributors. SFC willfollow these recommendations with a series of supporting materials,including documents, online tutorials, public Q&As, podcasts,and other community engagement. We will routinely refine ourrecommendations and continue to support FOSS contributors as theynavigate this difficult landscape.