The Linux kernel is facing record-breaking load due to AI

The Linux 7.4 merge window has become the largest in the history of the operating system kernel's development. The primary reason for this unprecedented influx of code is the active generation of patches using language models.

In the current development cycle, maintainers have faced a flood of nearly 20,000 commits. This volume significantly exceeds the average figures of previous releases and places additional strain on the maintainer team.

The mass adoption of AI tools by developers has resulted in reviewers physically being unable to process incoming changes at the usual pace. The situation raises questions about the need to change code review processes in large open-source projects.