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Linus Torvalds sees AI-assisted “vibe coding” as a possible way to draw people into programming, but he warned that relying on code you do not understand can be a poor choice for software that must be maintained. The remarks came in a November 2025 interview in Seoul; “gateway drug,” used in the supplied headline, is not verified as his exact wording.
What did Linus Torvalds say about AI and programming?
At the Linux Foundation Open Source Summit in Seoul, South Korea, earlier in November 2025, Torvalds spoke with Dirk Hohndel, identified by The Register as Verizon’s head of open source. The Register reported on the interview on 18 November, describing Torvalds as “fairly positive” about vibe coding as a route into computing while warning that it “may be a horrible, horrible idea from a maintenance standpoint.” The Register’s account of the interview links to the full interview video. The quotations here are attributed as reported by The Register; they are not independently checked against a transcript.
His point was not that AI-generated code is inherently unusable. It was that the appeal of getting a computer to do something quickly is different from the obligations that come with software people rely on and must keep working.
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Why might AI coding help someone get started?
Torvalds noted that computers have become more complicated since he learned to code by “typing in programs from computer magazines.” In that context, AI can lower the initial barrier: a newcomer can describe an idea, see code produced, and try to make something happen without first mastering every programming detail.
That is a possible entry point, not evidence that AI is a better way to learn programming for every beginner. A first successful experiment can build curiosity, but understanding what the code does still matters if the learner wants to change it, diagnose errors, or build something more ambitious.
Why does he caution against using AI for serious software?
The concern is maintainability. Production software is not finished when it first runs: people may need to fix defects, adapt it to new requirements, or work out why it behaves unexpectedly. If its developers cannot read and reason about the generated code, those tasks become harder. That is why Torvalds’s reported warning focuses on long-term maintenance rather than simply whether AI can produce a working result.
This distinction is about intended use and the developer’s understanding, not a blanket verdict on every AI tool or project. A quick experiment and software that others depend on carry different consequences when code is opaque or difficult to change.
How does Torvalds compare AI with compilers?
Torvalds described AI as another tool, comparing its productivity role with compilers. As quoted by The Register, he said: “AI is just another tool, the same way compilers free people from writing assembly code by hand, and increase productivity enormously but didn’t make programmers go away.” The analogy supports a limited point: tools can take over some work without removing the need for people who understand and direct the software.
It does not establish that AI makes programmers more productive by a measured amount, or that AI-generated code can safely be left without review. The Register also quoted Torvalds’s preference for “boring” changes that do not break machines for millions of people, a remark that reflects his emphasis on stability rather than serving as a separate claim about AI.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What did Torvalds say later about AI?
Keep his later remarks distinct from the Seoul interview. In a separate report about the Linux Foundation’s Open Source Summit North America, published on 21 May 2026, TechRadar Pro described Torvalds as calling AI “a great tool” while also identifying “pain points.” The report says he emphasized understanding generated code for long-term maintenance and discussed poor-quality AI-generated security reports. Read TechRadar Pro’s account of the later event.
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That follow-up is consistent with a mixed view: AI can be useful, but the usefulness does not erase the need to assess its output. Any productivity figure mentioned in the later coverage is Torvalds’s assertion, not a measured result established by that report.
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