(Image credit: Pexels / OpenClipArt) The open-source community's long-simmering identity crisis over artificial intelligence just got a much-needed dose of pragmatism. This week, the Linux kernel project finally established a formal, project-wide policy explicitly allowing AI-assisted code contributions provided that developers follow strict new disclosure rules. The new guidelines mandate that AI agents cannot use the legally binding "Signed-off-by" tag, requiring instead a new "Assisted-by" tag for transparency. Ultimately, the policy legally anchors every single line of AI-generated code and any resulting bugs or security flaws firmly onto the shoulders of the human submitting it. Go deeper with TH Premium: AI and data centers Article continues below (Image credit: Linux Kernel Project) Until now, major projects have taken wildly different approaches to the AI question.…