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How to Actually Start Contributing to Open Source AI Projects (A Step-by-Step Guide)

Mahmoud Mabrouk on December 17, 2025

So you've decided to contribute to open source. Great choice. But where do you actually start? This guide will walk you through the exact process ...
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Christian Ledermann

In my contributor guidelines, I usually include the tip:

commit often commit early. Open a draft pull request in the early development stage so you can recieve feedback (and some hints around potential pifalls) about your approach.

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Mahmoud Mabrouk

+1

I'd usually ask contributors to first describe what they are planning to do and get the okay from the team before assigning the issue.

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Alik Khilazhev

Such a detailed guide, I really love it!

I actually published a post on this topic today as well, where I cover the broader why and how of contributing to open source.

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Mahmoud Mabrouk

100% agree with that you wrote there @alikhil ! It's definitely quite helpful for learning and networking!

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Abdullah Jan

Loved your detailed 30-day action plan.

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Mahmoud Mabrouk

Thanks @abdullahjan !

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Nadeem Zia

good information given

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Elsie Rainee

This is super helpful! 👏 I’ve always wanted to contribute to open-source AI projects but didn’t know how to begin. The step-by-step guide makes it seem much more manageable. Thank you for simplifying it!

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Jack Davis

This is one of the clearest breakdowns I’ve read on getting started with open source AI. I really appreciate how you move beyond the usual “just pick a repo and contribute” advice and actually explain how to go from learning to meaningful participation. The emphasis on starting with documentation, issues, and understanding the project’s goals makes the process feel much less intimidating. This guide is especially helpful for beginners who want to contribute without feeling overwhelmed. Great work making open source AI feel accessible and practical!

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CapeStart

Informative

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Ben

I’ve always wanted to contribute code, but I never really knew how to do it.
Now I finally understand. Thank you so much for your guidance!

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Emma Taylor

Informative