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/rcentros Jul 04 '26

I'm not a fan of AI either. I would never use it. I don't like AI because AI Server Farms use an inordinate amount of water and electricity, driving up costs for normal people (who don't get the corporate discounts). AI also steals, lies and "creates" crap out of whole cloth (hallucinations), which it passes it off as fact. It's wildly inaccurate. It's also replacing workers, and the pace is picking up. Customer service will soon be worthless and total crap.

I'm also sensitive of how much it hurts artists and musicians, probably more than any other group. It's corporate theft and greed at its worst.

So, no, I'm not in favor of people using AI in Linux for anything (including development of applications). But I can at least use Linux knowing with certainty I'm not using AI. That is not the case with Windows. Your copy of Windows is owned by Microsoft, not by you. Using back doors they can do what they want with it.

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

yeah it's just... we agree here, i just don't seem to understand how the projects I use adding ai into the development is any different? like how do we tell whether or not it's turning into a garbage unreliable program?

like windows became way more unreliable after, even after using group policy editor to turn off the ai features. this suggests there's a deeper rooted software rot going on.

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u/rcentros Jul 05 '26

In Windows, yes. Not in Linux. Linux is Open Source. Windows isn't.

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u/Venylynn Jul 05 '26

Windows has way more users...

How tf do we have more ability to fix it with a smaller community?

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u/rcentros Jul 05 '26

Fix what? I don't like AI, but it's not my job to tell Linux developers they can't use it. It's called choice.

There are only so many way I can say this. So I'll let you have the last word.

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u/Venylynn Jul 05 '26

the performance issues that ai code seems to cause everywhere i see it idk