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Update AI guidance in CONTRIBUTING.md #3910

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14 changes: 10 additions & 4 deletions CONTRIBUTING.md
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Expand Up @@ -7,8 +7,7 @@ We’d really appreciate your support! Please ensure that you understand the fol
- Otherwise, please [post on the GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/jamulussoftware/jamulus/discussions) and say that you are planning to do some coding and explain why. Then we can discuss the specification.
- Please begin coding only after we have agreed on a specification to avoid putting a lot of effort into something that may not be accepted later.

If you work with an AI coding agent, [AGENTS.md](AGENTS.md) is its entry point into this repository. Everything in this document applies to agent-assisted contributions without exception: you remain the author, and you are expected to understand and stand behind every line you submit.

- Keep commits and Pull Requests focussed on one logical change only. In case you implement multiple features, open multiple smaller PRs instead of large one. Large PRs may become stale since they are not reviewable and be closed after a long time of inactivity.

## Jamulus project/source code general principles

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -48,6 +47,12 @@ Please install and use [pylint](https://pylint.org/) to scan any Python code.
There is a configuration file that defines some overrides,
and note the [Editorconfig file](.editorconfig) in the project too.

### Using AI

Use AI responsibly: If you choose to use AI, judge its outputs and review it for any kind of issues before submitting. Do not answer every comment with AI. Judge if AI use is beneficial for your usecase.

@mcfnord mcfnord Aug 18, 2026

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🤖 AI: The AI-specific expectations in this PR — strong testing proof, stating what isn't understood, closing low-effort contributions — can only be applied when reviewers know AI was involved, and nothing in the text asks contributors to say so. One sentence codifies what was already requested on #3649: "Please make clear when your AI speaks!"

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Use AI responsibly: If you choose to use AI, judge its outputs and review it for any kind of issues before submitting. Do not answer every comment with AI. Judge if AI use is beneficial for your usecase.
Use AI responsibly: If you choose to use AI, judge its outputs and review them for any kind of issues before submitting. State in your issue or Pull Request description whether and how AI was used. Do not answer every comment with AI. Judge if AI use is beneficial for your usecase.


AI assisted contributions **must** follow the same standards as every other contribution. The submitter remains the author and is expected to understand and stand behind every submitted line. [AGENTS.md](AGENTS.md) is the entry point into this repository for AI Agents. Low-effort contributions might be closed without comment.

### Licensing

**As of Jamulus 3.12.1dev commit eb172d47:** All new source code contributions must be licensed under AGPL 3.0 or any later version.
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -100,11 +105,12 @@ Have a look at our [guide for translators](docs/TRANSLATING.md) - especially rea

### Testing

To check that there are no errors, please run a local (build/feature) test. Keep an eye on the CI checks for quality or compile issues after opening a pull request and fix them as needed. You can also test the build on your repository by naming your branch `autobuild/<branchName>` which will start the building process on your repo.
To check that there are no errors, please run a local (build/feature) test. It is good practice to briefly explain what and how you tested your work - for AI contributions specifically, you should provide strong testing and proof. This may include logs, screenshots, small testing scripts or similar depending on your change.

@mcfnord mcfnord Aug 18, 2026

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🤖 AI: This restates the AGENTS.md evidence rule ("Attach test evidence (logs/output) to the PR — never just assert something works") in a weaker, AI-only form, and it pulls against "AI assisted contributions must follow the same standards as every other contribution" in the section above. Stating the expectation once, for every contribution, removes both the divergent copy and the tension:

Suggested change
To check that there are no errors, please run a local (build/feature) test. It is good practice to briefly explain what and how you tested your work - for AI contributions specifically, you should provide strong testing and proof. This may include logs, screenshots, small testing scripts or similar depending on your change.
To check that there are no errors, please run a local (build/feature) test. Briefly explain in the PR what and how you tested your work and attach evidence - logs, screenshots, small testing scripts or similar depending on your change.

Keep an eye on the CI checks for quality or compile issues after opening a pull request and fix them as needed. You can also test the build on your repository by naming your branch `autobuild/<branchName>` which will start the building process on your repo.

### Ownership

The submitter of an Issue or a PR is responsible for its care and feeding, answering all questions directed at them, and making agreed changes if necessary.
The submitter of an issue or a Pull Request is responsible for its care and feeding (this also holds for AI contributions), answering all questions directed at them, and making agreed changes if necessary. In case you use AI and do not understand some outputs, clearly state this and ask - either AI or humans.

Authors are strongly encouraged to update their initial posts/PR descriptions or title to reflect the current state of play, amends, enhancements, outstanding issues, etc., to reduce effort for others in understanding a PR or an Issue.
Admins reserve the right to do this as they see fit.
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