The OverheardJuly 8, 2026via ZDNet AI
'I'm not a programmer' anymore: Linus Torvalds on the only two tools he uses now
Why it matters
The creator of Linux is publicly shifting his development practice around AI tooling, signaling a watershed moment for how foundational open-source infrastructure maintainers are adapting to LLM-assisted coding. This is a bellwether for broader adoption patterns among elite technologists.
Key signals
- Linus Torvalds statement: 'I'm not a programmer anymore'
- Context: Open Source Summit Mumbai (Jul 2026)
- Torvalds now uses only two AI tools for kernel development
- Discussion centered on 'pain and power of AI in the kernel'
- Linux deprecating support for 'museum' technology
- Signals shift in how foundational infrastructure maintainers use AI tooling
The hook
Linus Torvalds: 'I'm not a programmer anymore.' Here's what changed.
At the Open Source Summit in Mumbai, Torvalds discusses the pain and power of AI in the kernel, and why Linux no longer supports 'museum' technology.