[OSGeo-Discuss] Request for a moratorium on AI/LLM use within OSGeo

[Even Rouault]

Hi,

(sent both to discuss, and CC'ed to board mailing list for information. 
Please keep the discussion only on -discuss)

I don't think the current position of the foundation of not taking a 
firm stance on the matter of AI/LLM, and let each group decide, can be 
held anymore. It is becoming increasing clearer that penetration of AI 
within our community is toxic, and require each group to go through the 
painful process of defining its own position about the topic, which is 
very complicated and drains a lot of energy among community members. 
Recently TorchGeo (https://github.com/torchgeo/torchgeo/pull/4116) and 
QGIS (https://github.com/qgis/QGIS-Enhancement-Proposals/pull/387) had 
to go for a full ban of AI/LLM use, both for coding and communication, 
given the difficulty to frame what exact use of that technology could be 
acceptable. I've also noticed in the incubation committee that nearly 
all recent submitted community projects have been largely vibe-coded, 
which seems incompatible to the criteria we expect of community 
projects, but the committee lacks clear guidance on how to proceed.

Open source has always been about doing things differently from others, 
and I believe that on AI, we must resist to the trend of embracing a 
technology that has so many unknown consequences, and already very 
nocuous ones. This falls under the precautionary principle.

A moratorium on AI/LLM use in all OSGeo venues (projects, committees, 
communication channels, conferences, etc.) seems to me to be to be the 
prudent approach. At least as a by-default policy. Each group could 
potentially reframe it, but by default, I believe groups should be 
protected. In some time, when the implications of using those techs will 
be better understood, and the landscape will have cleared up a bit, a 
potential relaxation can be discussed.

Even

-- 
http://www.spatialys.com
My software is free, but my time generally not.
LLMs contribute to global warming and brain rot.
Let's guillotine them! "Ah ! ça ira, ça ira, ça ira !"
Initiator ofhttps://fuckaifoundation.org
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