Debian's AI-contribution vote concludes: disclosure stays optional, review stays mandatory

Debian's General Resolution 2026/002, a nine-option ballot on AI-assisted contributions, closed for voting on August 28 at 23:59 UTC. The official tally, published the next morning, counted 438 ballots from 425 developers. Option 5, "Responsible Use of Generative AI," was the only option left standing in the Condorcet count, beating its closest rival, "Allow AI-Assisted Contributions with conditions," 203 votes to 148 head to head. The outright ban needed a 3:1 majority to pass; Debian's own count put its actual ratio at 0.56, and it was eliminated first. The adopted text says Debian "neither endorses nor prohibits the use of generative AI tools" in its packaging, documentation, or other project work, and it holds contributors to the project's existing standards of quality, correctness, and legal compliance regardless of how a contribution was produced. Disclosure of AI assistance is encouraged but not required.

Why it matters: Debian now has a ratified AI-contribution policy. Disclosure remains voluntary, and existing review standards apply to AI-assisted work. Anyone drafting a similar policy for their own project now has a concrete example to start from or push back against.