Generative AI is reshaping every stage of software development, from code writing and documentation to test generation. To ensure the community can fully embrace this productivity tool while maintaining the quality and compliance of open-source code, the openEuler community has officially released the Policy on the Use of Generative AI Tools and Open-Source Contributions. This post provides a full interpretation—welcome to read and share your feedback.
Policy Link: openEuler社区生成式AI工具使用与开源贡献策略 | 社区规范 | openEuler社区官网
Why Was This Policy Released?
The community views generative AI as a key driver of technological advancement and encourages developers and automated agents to use AI tools in scenarios such as code generation, documentation translation, test creation, and operations automation. However, “encouraging use” does not mean “unrestricted use.” The core principle of this policy is to embrace AI under conditions of reasonableness, transparency, and auditability.
Three Core Principles
1. Openness and AI-Driven Development
The community remains open to participation by developers and automated agents, supporting AI applications across multiple domains including code, documentation, testing, and operations.
2. Developer Accountability Remains Unchanged
The policy clearly states: “Human developers are ultimately responsible for the quality of their contributions and any associated legal liabilities.” Regardless of whether AI was involved, responsibility for correctness, security, and compliance always lies with the contributor.
3. Transparency and Traceability
All AI-assisted contributions must disclose:
- The AI tool used
- Source of third-party materials
- License information
The community will establish a metadata tracking mechanism to ensure traceability.
What to Do When Submitting a PR?
Three steps are mandatory—none can be skipped:
1. Disclose AI Usage Information
For contributions assisted by AI, the PR must include:
- Agent Platform: e.g., Claude Code 2.1.156
- Model Information: e.g., GPT-4o, DeepSeek-V3
- Prompt Summary: A brief description of the core intent behind the prompt
2. Confirm the Commitment Checklist
- Manual review has been completed; the contributor fully understands the technical implications and maintenance cost of the code
- Testing, building, license, and security checks have been performed
- No license incompatibility has been introduced by AI output
- No unauthorized third-party materials are included
- Compliance with your employer/institution’s AI usage policy has been verified
- The contributor accepts the same level of responsibility as for non-AI-generated contributions
3. Sign the CLA
A Contributor License Agreement (CLA) must be signed before submission. You cannot bypass CLA obligations by claiming “the content was generated by AI.” Signing the CLA confirms that you have the legal right to contribute the content.
Contributions That Will Be Rejected
The following types of contributions will not be merged:
- AI-generated content submitted without human review
- Code whose logic cannot be explained or whose origin cannot be verified
- Code that replicates third-party projects without providing legal source or license information
- Content incompatible with the project’s license
- Prompts or outputs containing trade secrets or sensitive data
- Automated, bulk submissions by AI agents without meaningful human involvement
Maintainers have the right to request changes or directly reject such contributions.
Feedback Channels
Have questions or suggestions about the policy? Please reply to this post or email us at contact@openeuler.io.