Flathub No Longer Accepts LLM-Based Submissions

Flathub, the Linux app store, is changing its submission review policy as low-quality submissions made using LLMs (large language models), so-called 'AI-slop', have surged. This measure is intended to prevent volunteer reviewers from being overloaded with work.

The core of the new policy is not to ban all AI use, but to focus on blocking 'low-effort submissions'. Mature projects are likely to be treated as exceptions based on existing criteria such as development history, project health, regular release cadence, and use of CI (continuous integration).

Regarding this policy change, various opinions are being exchanged within the community:

• Ecosystem concerns: There are worries that companies may avoid entering Flathub, potentially causing fragmentation of Linux distributions to recur.
• Alternative proposal: Rather than an outright ban, some have proposed charging a fee for AI-based submissions to cover review costs.
• Views on tools: There is a divide between those who view LLMs as merely marketing tools and those who argue that areas where code quality can be verified should be judged separately.