docs(dco): let maintainer-operated automation sign off

.agents/ai-coding-assistants.md

@@ -49,6 +49,40 @@ AI agents MUST NOT add `Co-Authored-By` trailers for themselves either.
 A human reviewer owns the contribution; the AI's involvement is recorded
 via `Assisted-by` (see below).
 
+### Exception: automation operated by a maintainer
+
+The rule above addresses the common case, an AI assistant helping a human
+contributor who then signs off. It does not fit automation that a
+maintainer runs themselves, which opens pull requests with no human
+submitter to sign. Applied literally there, nothing ever signs and the
+DCO check blocks the pull request permanently.
+
+A maintainer-operated bot MUST therefore add a `Signed-off-by` trailer
+naming **the maintainer who operates it**, not the bot and not the model:
+
+```
+Assisted-by: Codex:gpt-5
+Signed-off-by: Ettore Di Giacinto <mudler@localai.io>
+```
+
+This is not the AI certifying the DCO. The maintainer is, exactly as they
+do for a commit they typed by hand: they configured the automation, they
+own its output, and they take responsibility for it when they merge it.
+The `Assisted-by` trailer still records that a model produced the code, so
+the provenance trail is unchanged.
+
+The exception is narrow and does not widen the rule for anyone else:
+
+- It applies only to automation a LocalAI maintainer operates and whose
+  output that maintainer reviews before merge.
+- The sign-off names a real person who accepts DCO responsibility.
+- An AI assistant helping an outside contributor still MUST NOT sign off.
+  That contributor adds their own trailer.
+- A bot MUST NOT sign off on behalf of anyone other than its operator, and
+  MUST NOT add a trailer for a contributor whose branch it pushes to. If
+  automation contributes to someone else's branch, it leaves the sign-off
+  to that contributor.
+
 ## Attribution
 
 When AI tools contribute to LocalAI development, proper attribution helps

AGENTS.md

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ Human contributors: see [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) for the development w
 
 LocalAI follows the Linux kernel project's [guidelines for AI coding assistants](https://docs.kernel.org/process/coding-assistants.html). Before submitting AI-assisted code, read [.agents/ai-coding-assistants.md](.agents/ai-coding-assistants.md). Key rules:
 
-- **No `Signed-off-by` from AI.** Only the human submitter may sign off on the Developer Certificate of Origin.
+- **No `Signed-off-by` from AI.** Only the human submitter may sign off on the Developer Certificate of Origin. One exception: automation a maintainer operates signs off with *that maintainer's* identity, since no other human submitter exists to certify it. See [.agents/ai-coding-assistants.md](.agents/ai-coding-assistants.md).
 - **No `Co-Authored-By: <AI>` trailers.** The human contributor owns the change.
 - **Use an `Assisted-by:` trailer** to attribute AI involvement. Format: `Assisted-by: AGENT_NAME:MODEL_VERSION [TOOL1] [TOOL2]`.
 - **The human submitter is responsible** for reviewing, testing, and understanding every line of generated code.

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ LocalAI follows the **same guidelines as the Linux kernel project** for AI-assis
 
 The full policy for this repository lives in [`.agents/ai-coding-assistants.md`](.agents/ai-coding-assistants.md). Summary:
 
-- **AI agents MUST NOT add `Signed-off-by` tags.** Only humans can certify the Developer Certificate of Origin.
+- **AI agents MUST NOT add `Signed-off-by` tags.** Only humans can certify the Developer Certificate of Origin. Automation operated by a maintainer is the one exception: it signs off with that maintainer's identity, because there is no other human submitter to certify it.
 - **AI agents MUST NOT add `Co-Authored-By` trailers** attributing themselves as co-authors.
 - **Attribute AI involvement with an `Assisted-by` trailer** in the commit message:
 

docs/content/reference/ai-coding-assistants.md

@@ -34,6 +34,26 @@ All contributions must comply with LocalAI's licensing requirements:
 
 AI agents MUST NOT add `Co-Authored-By` trailers for themselves either. A human reviewer owns the contribution; the AI's involvement is recorded via `Assisted-by` (see below).
 
+### Exception: automation operated by a maintainer
+
+The rule above addresses the common case, an AI assistant helping a human contributor who then signs off. It does not fit automation that a maintainer runs themselves, which opens pull requests with no human submitter to sign. Applied literally there, nothing ever signs and the DCO check blocks the pull request permanently.
+
+A maintainer-operated bot MUST therefore add a `Signed-off-by` trailer naming **the maintainer who operates it**, not the bot and not the model:
+
+```
+Assisted-by: Codex:gpt-5
+Signed-off-by: Ettore Di Giacinto <mudler@localai.io>
+```
+
+This is not the AI certifying the DCO. The maintainer is, exactly as they do for a commit they typed by hand: they configured the automation, they own its output, and they take responsibility for it when they merge it. The `Assisted-by` trailer still records that a model produced the code, so the provenance trail is unchanged.
+
+The exception is narrow and does not widen the rule for anyone else:
+
+- It applies only to automation a LocalAI maintainer operates and whose output that maintainer reviews before merge.
+- The sign-off names a real person who accepts DCO responsibility.
+- An AI assistant helping an outside contributor still MUST NOT sign off. That contributor adds their own trailer.
+- A bot MUST NOT sign off on behalf of anyone other than its operator, and MUST NOT add a trailer for a contributor whose branch it pushes to. If automation contributes to someone else's branch, it leaves the sign-off to that contributor.
+
 ## Attribution
 
 When AI tools contribute to LocalAI development, proper attribution helps track the evolving role of AI in the development process. Contributions should include an `Assisted-by` tag in the commit message trailer in the following format: