The first release candidate for Linux 7.4 has been released following an unusually long development period (“merge window”). According to Linux founder Linus Torvalds, AI-driven software development is the main reason for the large number of changes to the kernel.
In a statement, Torvalds notes that the number of changes is very substantial. Developers have submitted nearly 20,000 contributions. In a typical development cycle, that number is around 15,000.
Torvalds believes that the high number is partly due to work resulting from the use of AI. AI-assisted analysis and development generate more changes than developers can process in the kernel. He views this as a positive development, especially since improvements are now being submitted during the regular development phase rather than during the stabilization phase.
More changes prior to release
However, AI is not the only explanation for the increased activity. A substantial portion of the changes consists of AMD GPU register definitions, which account for about one-third of the total volume.
Torvalds also suggested that the expected Long-Term Support (LTS) status of Linux 7.4 may have encouraged developers to submit more changes before this release comes out.
The unusually large merge window does not necessarily mean that the kernel gained a lot of new functionality. Many changes relate to maintenance, hardware support, and improvements to the existing code. The release highlights the growing influence of AI on software development, even in projects that have traditionally relied heavily on human analysis of the code.
It is important to note that these AI-related activities do not mean that the code being released now was necessarily generated by AI. They also include bugs and improvements identified by AI-assisted tools and subsequently implemented by developers.
Now that Linux 7.4-rc1 is available, the stabilization phase begins. Developers will focus on identifying and resolving issues before the final release becomes available.