A study released by Linux Foundation Research found that generative AI cuts the time needed for open source coding tasks roughly in half, yet also creates a rising maintenance burden for project leaders. The research, presented at All Things Open 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina, estimates that 25 percent of incoming pull requests to open source projects are now “AI slop,” or low-quality code contributed without adequate testing.
The report examined how generative AI is reshaping open source software development across contributions, maintainers and project communities. It found a sharp disconnect between productivity gains and the human costs of managing them.
The data shows that 59 percent of project maintainers report growing contribution volume since generative AI became widely available, increasing to 69 percent among large projects. For contributors and maintainers alike, AI tools deliver up to 50 percent time savings across different development tasks. For code authoring specifically, respondents estimated an average 52 percent reduction in time spent.
Yet that influx of contributions comes with a cost. The percentage of incoming pull requests estimated to be low-quality “AI slop” reaches 31 percent in large projects.
“Open source projects need to design for a growing AI-generated contributor base, not simply react to it,” said Hilary Carter, senior vice president of research at the Linux Foundation. “That means setting clear expectations for GenAI, putting responsibility for testing and disclosure on contributors and giving maintainers better tools to manage incoming pull requests. If we get those fundamentals right, AI can expand participation without overburdening and increasing costs for maintainers.”
The study also revealed a trust problem. While 71 percent of maintainers agree that generative AI reduces barriers to entry for open source participation, only 47 percent believe it has improved community trust. A majority, 53 percent, explicitly disagree that AI has improved trust.
Most projects lack formal governance around AI contributions. Only 35 percent of projects have written policies permitting generative AI use, while 32 percent have no policy and no plans to create one. Among contributors who do use AI, 61 percent report conducting detailed reviews and full functional testing before submitting code, though disclosure of AI assistance remains inconsistent.
The findings suggest developers are making good use of the time they save. Among respondents, 66 percent said they use productivity gains to address technical debt, 63 percent to develop new features and 58 percent for learning and upskilling. For high-complexity tasks, however, 21 percent of respondents reported taking more time when using AI rather than less.
Mark Collier, general manager of AI and infrastructure at the Linux Foundation, said: “Generative AI’s impact on open source should be measured by the quality of contributions and the health of the communities behind them, alongside productivity gains. 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’re bringing communities together to advance open source AI and help translate these gains into sustainable progress for the open source ecosystem.”
The research recommends that open source projects establish clear written policies for AI-assisted contributions, strengthen transparency and disclosure requirements, demand that contributors test and document AI-generated changes before submission and standardize attribution practices. It also calls for treating governance, verification and trust as core infrastructure.
Adrianne Marcum, chief of staff at OpenSSF, noted the shared burden: “AI can write code faster, but contributors still need to understand and test what they submit. This research shows why clear contribution policies and careful review matter as AI adoption grows. Keeping open source secure is a shared responsibility, and maintainers should not have to carry it alone.”
The study also found that 46 percent of maintainers say generative AI increases the need for mentorship of new contributors, compared with 32 percent who say it decreases that need. The Linux Foundation said this finding underscores the importance of sustained human investment in open source communities as adoption of AI tools accelerates.