June 18, 2026
Today, Software Freedom Conservancy publishes Recommendations When Using LLM-backed Generative AI systems for FOSS Contributions. SFC's Copyleft and Software Right to Repair Team co-drafted these policy recommendations in collaboration with a team of volunteers from the Free Software community. These recommendations include substantial feedback that SFC received in its ongoing public sessions and meetings with SFC member projects.
The recommendations reflect the extremely difficult dilemmas that these systems pose for FOSS contributors. SFC and its volunteers understand that FOSS developers are approaching LLM-gen-AI from a variety of perspectives. The recommendations offer practical assistance to minimize the damage caused by using proprietary systems, whether FOSS contributors reject LLM-gen-AI or choose (voluntarily or by employer mandate) to use them.
These recommendations are best practices (but not definitions or requirements) that SFC and its volunteers formulated after careful study of the growing LLM-gen-AI use among FOSS contributors. SFC will follow these recommendations with a series of supporting materials, including documents, online tutorials, public Q&As, podcasts, and other community engagement. We will routinely refine our recommendations and continue to support FOSS contributors as they navigate this difficult landscape.