Code, community, and copilot. AI is changing the way we contribute

This is a submission for the 2025 Hacktoberfest Writing Challenge: Contribution Chronicles

Hacktoberfest is always one of my favourite times of year. It's a month filled with learning, sharing, and connecting through open source. Every year, I try to dive into a few new projects, meet new communities, and stretch my technical skills. This year, my main contribution highlights were to Appwrite, ToolJet, and for the first time, Home Assistant's Core, and I learned tonnes along the way.

Learning through contributions

One of the things I love most about open source is how it forces you to learn by doing. Each project has its own way of working, its own tech stack, and its own community culture. Appwrite, for instance, has such a rich and well-documented environment that made it a great place to dive deep into backend systems and authentication flows. ToolJet, on the other hand, gave me the chance to explore where no-code meets open source. Contributing in this way helps others build faster, and that was both challenging and rewarding.

And then there was Core, my first contributions to the project. Jumping into a new codebase can feel like walking into a library where every book is written in a slightly different language. But that’s the beauty of open source: you learn to navigate new structures, styles, and expectations, while discovering just how welcoming maintainers can be when you ask questions or offer suggestions.

I also love how we are rewarded for our contributions through Holopin. It's a fun way to showcase your involvement in technology, collect badges, and curate your board:

You can even add your board to your GitHub profile:

AI is changing the way we contribute

This Hacktoberfest, I noticed something a little different. It's not just how I contributed, but how I learned. AI tools like GitHub Copilot, Copilot for Pull Requests, and CodeRabbit are becoming a natural part of the contribution process. They’re helping contributors (like me!) catch small issues early, suggest cleaner code, and even guide commit messages.

GitHub Copilot is also helping review the code with useful summaries and updates on PRs:

What’s even more powerful is how these tools support maintainers. Code review can be a time-consuming process, especially during Hacktoberfest when contributions flood in. But with AI-assisted code reviews and automation checks, maintainers can focus on the things that make sense: architecture, logic, human decisions, instead of being bogged down in syntax or formatting issues. As an example, I contributed to EbookFoundation and their GitHub Actions bot picked up if any resources were placed in the incorrect order:

We're now working in a hybrid world where human creativity meets AI assistance, and the result is faster learning and more maintainable projects.

Growing together

Hacktoberfest has always been about growth, both individual and collective. This year, I learned how to learn better and work with automation tools. I learned how to communicate more clearly in PRs, how to write more descriptive commit messages (thanks, Copilot!), and how to think about maintainability from a maintainer’s perspective.

I also saw first-hand how open source communities are embracing AI not as a replacement, but as an enhancement. It's a way to empower more contributors to get involved, and to help maintainers manage their growing projects without burnout. As an example, having AI pre-review code and run checks can be helpful for picking up early bugs, and ensuring guidelines are adhered to:

Looking ahead

Contributing to open source has never been easier, more accessible, or more exciting. Whether you’re tackling your first “good first issue” or merging your 100th PR, there’s always something new to learn. This Hacktoberfest reminded me that contribution isn’t just about code; it’s about collaboration, curiosity, and continuous improvement.

If you’ve never contributed before, jump in! Start small, ask questions, and don’t be afraid to let tools like GitHub Copilot lend a hand. Because in open source, every contribution counts, and every experience is a chance to grow.