From 07f5b3e91eb92d13f7e2da92da12cae387818651 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Lucien Cartier-Tilet <lucien@phundrak.com>
Date: Thu, 23 Apr 2026 20:14:30 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] docs(contributing): clarifying and expanding AI requirements

Introduce stricter requirements regarding AI-powered contributions, as
inspired by the Linux Kernel's guidelines.
---
 AGENTS.md       | 37 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-
 CONTRIBUTING.md | 39 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-
 2 files changed, 74 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index 85a0d3e..b7039e6 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -47,7 +47,8 @@ accepted, provided you
    assistance);
 3. are prepared to discuss it directly with human reviewers.
 
-**All AI usage requires explicit disclosure**, except in these cases:
+**All AI usage requires explicit disclosure** (see Attribution section
+for commit message requirements), except in these cases:
 - Trivial tab autocompletion, but only for completion that you have
   already conceptualized in your mind.
 - Asking the AI about knowledge that is not directly related to your
@@ -62,6 +63,40 @@ the AI **MUST** be included in the repository. AI **MAY** generate the
 initial output, but the final specification **MUST** be entirely
 reviewed and understood by a human.
 
+### Attribution
+<!-- Inspired by the Linux Kernel AI Coding Assistants guidelines -->
+
+When using AI assistance in contributions:
+
+- **AI cannot be a commit author.** All commits must be authored by a
+  human contributor.
+- **AI cannot sign off commits.** Only humans can legally certify
+  commits by adding a `Signed-off-by:` tag. AI tools MUST NOT add
+  `Signed-off-by` tags.
+- **The human author bears full responsibility.** The human
+  contributor is responsible for:
+  - Reviewing all AI-generated or AI-assisted code
+  - Ensuring compliance with licensing requirements
+  - Taking full responsibility for the contribution
+- **AI-assisted commits must include an `Assisted-by:` footer**. The
+  format is:
+
+  ```
+  Assisted-by: AGENT_NAME:MODEL_VERSION [TOOL1] [TOOL2]
+  ```
+
+  Where:
+  - `AGENT_NAME` is the name of the AI tool or framework
+  - `MODEL_VERSION` is the specific model version used
+  - `[TOOL1] [TOOL2]` are optional specialized analysis tools used
+    (not basic tools like git, cargo, Nix, editors)
+
+  Example:
+
+  ```
+  Assisted-by: Claude:claude-3-sonnet
+  ```
+
 ---
 
 ## Guidelines for AI Agents
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index d5f7d1f..144d2fe 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -73,7 +73,44 @@ adhere to the following requirements:
    (bug reports, feature requests, pull request descriptions,
    responding to humans, ...).
 
-For more info, please refer to the [AGENTS.md](AGENTS.md) file.
+### Attribution
+
+When using AI assistance in contributions:
+
+- **AI cannot be a commit author.** All commits must be authored by a
+  human contributor.
+- **AI cannot sign off commits.** Only humans can legally certify
+  commits by adding a `Signed-off-by:` tag. AI tools MUST NOT add
+  `Signed-off-by` tags.
+- **The human author bears full responsibility.** The human
+  contributor is responsible for:
+  - Reviewing all AI-generated or AI-assisted code
+  - Ensuring compliance with licensing requirements
+  - Taking full responsibility for the contribution
+- **AI-assisted commits must include an `Assisted-by:` footer**. The
+  format is:
+
+  ```
+  Assisted-by: AGENT_NAME:MODEL_VERSION [TOOL1] [TOOL2]
+  ```
+
+  Where:
+  - `AGENT_NAME` is the name of the AI tool or framework
+  - `MODEL_VERSION` is the specific model version used
+  - `[TOOL1] [TOOL2]` are optional specialized analysis tools used
+    (not basic tools like git, cargo, Nix, editors)
+
+  Example:
+
+  ```
+  Assisted-by: Claude:claude-3-sonnet
+  ```
+
+  See the [AGENTS.md](AGENTS.md#attribution) file for the full format
+  specification.
+
+For more info, please refer to the [AGENTS.md](AGENTS.md)
+file.
 
 ## Code of Conduct