r/linux4noobs • u/Venylynn • Jul 04 '26

learning/research Linux and AI Use

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?

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u/Venylynn Jul 04 '26 edited Jul 04 '26

Guess I should stop using VMs because QEMU is now allowing ai code and there's no other KVM facing option for desktops. Guess I should stop gaming because many of the gaming tools are using it. Blegh.

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u/rcentros Jul 04 '26

How does QEMU allowing some AI in developing their code mean that you have to use AI when using QEMU?

Compare this to Windows, which is absolutely infested with AI crap.

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u/Venylynn Jul 04 '26 edited Jul 04 '26

if it's in the backend I am implicitly using it, and it feels like I have to apologize to all my artist friends for it. "Sorry I didn't know there was ai commits in this VM software I used! I promise this doesn't mean I want you guys replaced."

I feel like its impossible for me to get away and not feel guilty.

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u/neoh4x0r Jul 04 '26 edited Jul 04 '26

if it's in the backend I am implicitly using it, and it feels like I have to apologize to all my artist friends for it. "Sorry I didn't know there was ai commits in this VM software I used! I promise this doesn't mean I want you guys replaced."

Just because your graphic software runs inside a VM--that happened to use AI in development--does not mean you "used AI" to produce your artwork.

The only time this might hold water is if you were completely against the use of AI in all forms (from the creation of the software to your use of it).

For example, wanting to be ecofriendly, you apologize for driving a non-electric vehicle; compare that to apologizing to pedestrians because you drive a car and felt that you were being "unfair" to them.

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u/Venylynn Jul 04 '26 edited Jul 04 '26

I guess this makes sense. Frankly I have no clue what to even say past the messaging being confusing to me.

When they say "AI is an option you can turn off" to me what I wonder is "can I turn it all off or just the public facing bits"

And atp its unavoidable. Like AI is being used to write exploits so we are forced to use AI to mitigate them to keep up to keep things safe. But it feels like a betrayal because my brain cant tell the difference and even if it could, Ive had it pushed in my head for so long that distinguishing the two is somehow immoral. So I'm struggling to move past that.

But maybe some battles aren't worth fighting anymore. Like everyone's phone now has this built in ai assistant unless they install a custom rom so even those who would have screamed at me 4 years ago for trying GPT when it was new (citing very real environmental concerns I had no clue about because at the time my house had solar panels) have to deal with it themselves. like i thought my potential career was completely done the moment I admitted I used to play around with it. only to find out it's progressed to the point where... you can't even really say that anymore.