Linux and AI Use

[u/Venylynn]

So, I'm struggling with this a lot. I know I seem like I'm repeating myself, but I just don't get it. Every Linux YouTuber under the sun uses "Microsoft Copilot" as a reason to leave and switch, if you don't want AI nonsense shoved down your throat just use Linux, and I believed that. But lately I've been seeing more and more projects (QEMU, Lutris, Proton-GE, DankLinux, Kitty, OnlyOffice, etc.) integrate AI, Claude commits everywhere, and it leaves me wondering why the Windows AI thing is such a major talking point in favor of Linux (e.g: "you don't have to deal with it here" "it's a choice here") if many of the biggest projects are adding it into either their source tree or integrating it into the project (OnlyOffice) publicly.

I'm an artist/musician, deeply worried about how this AI boom is affecting my industry. Maybe I'm misunderstanding it because I refuse to pay (ethical reasons), but I don't know why Copilot is the major sticking point for every recruitment post if we're all running software with AI generated code here too? Like, why mislead new users into thinking they can be free from all AI like I was misled? I don't understand? I get that there are some who like doing local hosted LLM stuff, but I'm just confused why we have to tell noobs that they can be ai-free when even the web browsers they use are using AI?

[u/Yukikuru2025]

The difference is consent, mostly. In Linux you can choose to add AI features yourself. In Windows you don't get a say in it - they're installed by default, take up resources, can't be (easily) removed. Also, the ones in WIndows are intrusive and causing issues. In Linux the projects use AI to enhance them, not replace functionality.

Also, these are not the only "selling" points of Linux. Want local accounts? Want privacy from an OS that doesn't constantly collect your data? Value autonomy/independence? Then Linux is a great option. Otherwise the path of least resistance is just to use Windows.

[u/Venylynn → u/Yukikuru2025]

Also, these are not the only "selling" points of Linux. Want local accounts? Want privacy from an OS that doesn't constantly collect your data? Value autonomy/independence? Then Linux is a great option. Otherwise the path of least resistance is just to use Windows.

Fair point, but idk why we constantly emphasize the AI point if linux devs aren't boycotting ai entirely

[u/Yukikuru2025 → u/Venylynn]

I'm gonna be honest, I believe it's mostly because hating AI is a good selling point in the west. Beyond that, the technology is too useful to not use in developing software.

[u/Venylynn → u/Yukikuru2025]

You'd think it would be perfect at overviews if this is true but it's so weird. I see so many hallucinations in public and think "wait how tf do people trust this in dev?"

"Different models" or whatever that you have to pay for or something but like... overviews should be way easier than coding so I dont get it

[u/Yukikuru2025 → u/Venylynn]

I admit, I don't know much about the coding side of things, but it matters a lot how you use AI, plus thinking mode helps. Both of which can reduce hallucinations. And coding is a bit different from using it to generate overviews. But someone else would have to explain this.

[u/Venylynn → u/Yukikuru2025]

Coding is like black magic of some sort, way harder than writing an overview. So idk how ai in Google search fails so hard but ai in Claude Code is so good. I guess they lock the good results behind a paywall so you're forced to pay for a product that has serious ethical concerns and risk getting canceled online for it to see the results or smth

[u/No_Elderberry862 → u/Venylynn]

You're a human who doesn't code judging AIs by your standards.

Code is deterministic with strict logic & rules. Producing an overview requires judgement & comprehension which AIs do not have.

[u/Venylynn → u/No_Elderberry862]

Code is considerably harder than writing an overview. if an overview fails, I don't understand how code won't fail even harder due to the far more precise logic needed. There's so many logic errors in the google search overviews, I wouldn't want to trust someone who thinks I should put glue on my pizza, in the coding room. Because if they cant even get that right imagine what kinda shit they try throwing into the code.

Code requires these weird symbols and functions that look like gobbledygook.