Debian contributor Matthias Geiger has submitted Proposal A for a General Resolution to expressly forbid contributions written with the assistance of large language models (LLM). The proposal, seconded by Johannes Schauer Marin Rodrigues and seven other developers, opens a discussion period on 2026-07-24. The scope covers Debian source packages, official project software, documentation, translations, and web resources, while excluding upstream projects and AI-related software.

The rationale cites four major concerns: unclear copyright status of LLM output violating Debian Policy and the DFSG; persistent accuracy problems making LLM-generated packaging unfit for upload; community strain from reviewing synthetic contributions that hinder new contributor learning; and ethical objections to LLM companies scraping web resources without regard for licenses, causing infrastructure denial-of-service.

To remove ambiguity, the proposal adds a sixth clause to the Social Contract: "We will not allow direct contributions to Debian written with the use or assistance of large language models (LLMs) or other generative AI tools." Direct contributions are defined as packaging, native software, documentation, translations, and official web resources.

While enforcement challenges are acknowledged, the proposers frame this as a statement of community intent. The move follows similar policies adopted by GNOME, Gentoo, and Codeberg.