Reddit’s r/opensource bans AI-made and AI-focused projects, also bans non-English speakers

Reddit communities are increasingly tightening their rules around artificial intelligence, with some restricting AI-generated submissions and others limiting discussions about the technology. The latest crackdown comes from Reddit’s r/opensource community, whose moderators announced sweeping restrictions on October 24, banning projects built with AI, projects that use AI, and software intended for AI. The announcement has sparked backlash over its broad wording, with some developers saying AI-assisted coding does not automatically make a project low quality or any less open source.

Notably, the new rules go beyond AI, with projects promoted in r/opensource now required to have been actively maintained for at least a year, have multiple contributors, maintain an existing community, and use an OSI-approved open-source license. Common student projects, such as note-taking apps and PDF viewers, are also excluded, while requests for maintainers or additional contributors are no longer permitted.

The moderators also require Reddit accounts to be at least a year old and have a history of significant …