New LF Research Survey Shows Generative AI Cuts Open Source Coding Time in Half, but 25% of Incoming Pull Requests are Considered AI Slop

Generative AI helps developers work faster and makes it easier for people to contribute to open source projects. But the growing number of contributions is putting more pressure on project maintainers, who need better rules to manage the work.

Summary

• Linux Foundation Research published a new study about how generative AI (GenAI) is changing the way people develop open source software (OSS).
• The study found major gains in productivity, but also growing pressure on project maintainers.
• Most maintainers (59%) say the number of contributions to open source projects is growing. However, they estimate that 25% of incoming pull requests (PRs) are low-quality contributions, often called "AI slop."
• GenAI helps both contributors and maintainers work up to 50% faster across different types of open source development tasks.
• The findings show that projects need stronger rules for using AI. These include clear contribution policies, consistent ways to give credit and check work, and continued investment in human mentorship.

RALEIGH, N.C., Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- All Things Open 2026 – The Linux Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports large-scale innovation through open source, announced a new research report today. The report, Navigating Open Source Software Development in the Generative AI Era: Challenges and Opportunities for Project Communities, looks at how GenAI is changing open source development. LF Research published the report with sponsorship from Red Hat, the world's leading provider of open source solutions. Futurewei, OpenSSF, and LF AI & Data also supported the research. The findings will be presented at All Things Open, taking place Oct. 19-20 in Raleigh, N.C.

As GenAI becomes a more common part of software development, the study shows that its effects are mixed. AI tools can help people develop software faster and make it easier to contribute to open source projects. But the rise in contributions also creates more work for project maintainers. Since GenAI became more widely used, 59% of maintainers say the number of contributions has grown. This figure rises to 69% for large projects. Maintainers estimate that 25% of incoming PRs are low-quality contributions, also known as "AI slop." For large projects, that figure rises to 31%.

"Open source projects need to plan for more contributors who use AI, rather than simply react to the changes," said Hilary Carter, SVP of Research at the Linux Foundation. "That means setting clear rules for using GenAI, making contributors responsible for testing their work and explaining when they used AI, and giving maintainers better tools to handle incoming pull requests. If we get these basics right, AI can help more people take part without placing too much extra work or cost on maintainers."

Other important findings from the study include:

• GenAI makes it easier to join open source projects, but also creates new difficulties: 71% of maintainers agree that GenAI makes it easier for people to start contributing to OSS. However, 53% disagree that GenAI has improved trust within project communities.
• GenAI saves a lot of time, but the results depend on how difficult the task is: GenAI speeds up open source development in ways that go beyond writing code faster. Respondents estimate that it reduces the time needed for all six types of OSS development activities measured. These include discussing proposals, which takes 19% less time, and writing code, which takes 52% less time. However, for complex tasks, 21% of respondents say they spend more time when using GenAI.
• Developers use the time they save to do more open source work: 66% say they use their productivity gains to deal with technical debt, 63% use them to build new features, and 58% use them to learn new skills and improve their abilities.
• Rules have not kept up with AI use: Only 35% of projects have a formal policy that allows GenAI use, while 32% have no policy and no plans to create one. Among contributors, 61% carefully review AI-generated code and fully test that it works before submitting it. However, contributors do not always clearly state when they have used AI.
• Human mentorship is still important: 46% of maintainers say GenAI makes mentorship for new contributors more necessary, while 32% say it makes mentorship less necessary.

To get the most value from GenAI in open source development, the research recommends that projects create clear written rules for contributions made with AI, require people to explain when and how they use AI, and expect contributors to test and document AI-assisted changes before submitting them. Projects should also use consistent ways to give credit for work. The research further recommends treating rules, checks, and trust as essential parts of developing software with AI.

To learn more, read the full report here.

Supporting Quotes
"We should judge how generative AI affects open source by looking at the quality of contributions and the health of the communities behind them, as well as the productivity gains," said Mark Collier, GM of AI & Infrastructure at the Linux Foundation. "This research shows why investment in AI tools must go hand in hand with investment in maintainers, mentorship, and trust. Through LF AI & Data, we are bringing communities together to improve open source AI and help turn these gains into lasting progress for the open source ecosystem."

– Mark Collier, GM of AI & Infrastructure, The Linux Foundation

"Generative AI is changing how people take part in open source in fundamental ways. It makes contributing easier, but it also creates new challenges for maintainers and project communities. The answer is not to slow innovation. Instead, we need rules, openness, and ways to build trust so that contributions made with AI strengthen the open source ecosystem without overwhelming it."

– Anni Lai, Head of Open Source Ecosystem Development, Futurewei

"AI can write code faster, but contributors still need to understand and test the code they submit. This research shows why clear contribution rules and careful reviews matter as AI use grows. Keeping open source secure is everyone's responsibility, and maintainers should not have to handle it alone."

– Adrianne Marcum, Chief of Staff, OpenSSF

"Generative AI could make it much easier for people to contribute to software. But faster work does not mean much if quality or trust within the community suffers. As more contributions arrive, maintainers need clear and open practices, reliable information about which models were used and how they were developed, and consistent rules to manage these changes. To keep the ecosystem healthy over time, contributors need shared standards, dependable checks, and strong mentorship. This will help open source continue to thrive through people working together."

– Brian Proffitt, Senior Principal Community Architect - Strategic Insights, Open Source AI Program Office, Red Hat

About Linux Foundation Research
Founded in 2021, Linux Foundation Research studies the growing scale of collaboration on open source projects. It provides information about new technology trends, good practices, and the worldwide effects of open source projects. By using project databases and networks and following good methods for collecting and analyzing both numerical and descriptive information, Linux Foundation Research is building a leading library of open source knowledge for organizations around the world.

About the Linux Foundation
The Linux Foundation is the world's leading organization for collaboration on open source software, hardware, standards, and data. Its projects include Linux, Kubernetes, Model Context Protocol (MCP), OpenChain, OpenSearch, OpenSSF, OpenStack, PyTorch, Ray, RISC-V, SPDX, and Zephyr. These projects help support important systems and infrastructure around the world. The Linux Foundation uses good practices and responds to the needs of contributors, users, and solution providers to build lasting ways for people to work together openly. For more information, please visit us at linuxfoundation.org.

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