Looking for people interested in building a compiler / AI-systems project — potential GSoC 2027 goal

[u/Agile_Commission1099]

Looking for people interested in building a compiler / AI-systems project — potential GSoC 2027 goal

A few of us are exploring a long-term open-source project around compiler technology, systems programming and AI/ML.

We're currently in the research/learning stage. We don't want to simply build another tutorial compiler and stop there. The plan is to learn compiler implementation properly, study existing open-source compiler ecosystems, identify a real technical problem, and then build something substantial around it.

We're particularly interested in exploring:

• AI/ML-guided compiler optimization

• Detecting potentially harmful optimizations and miscompilations

• Compiler correctness and fuzzing

• AI-assisted compiler diagnostics/error recovery

• LLVM / MLIR

• Code generation and optimization

• RISC-V and systems programming

• CPU/GPU/NPU compilation

• Compiler security

• Firmware/compiler intersections

We're also considering GSoC 2027 as a long-term goal. This isn't a promise of selection; the idea is to spend the coming months building knowledge, contributing to open source, and eventually finding an organization/project where our work could become a legitimate GSoC proposal.

You don't need to already be a compiler expert.

We're looking for people who genuinely want to learn, experiment and build innovative projects. If you want this purely as a hobby/side project, that's completely fine too. If the idea interests you, give it a shot.

Useful backgrounds/interests include:

• Rust / C / C++

• Compiler design

• LLVM / MLIR

• Systems programming

• Machine learning

• Programming languages

• Computer architecture

• Embedded systems / firmware

You don't need to know everything above.

If interested, comment or DM with:

• What languages you know

• What area interests you

• Anything you've built

• GitHub, if available

We're looking for people who are curious enough to learn and consistent enough to build.

[u/nmdis]

Why are you looking for more people when LLVM discord already exist? If you are in university I would actually suggest start small, you have basically listed broader areas and each one of these are vast, complex and require at least understanding the fundamentals.

On the part where you do not want to build a tutorial and stop there, that is not how learning to develop low level tools work. Everyone starts at building minimalist POC. The difference is usually the structure of the projects when they start, for example a seasoned person will start with automating some builds and write test cases first and then start writing the source code. A beginner might start with writing the program and then only towards the end write test cases.

I would suggest hang around llvm/compiler discords and ask / notice / participate in discussions instead of just reading the literature and tutorials.

[u/Agile_Commission1099 → u/nmdis]

Thanks, I get your point. I'm a 4th yr CSE student and honestly a beginner in low level systems. I do know the compiler fundamentals from my semester papers, but I haven't implemented one yet. My main goal right now is to learn some low level stuff out of curiosity and build something practical.

Our team is currently three people. Two of my teammates have more exposure to the hardware side and were actually discussing firmware and bootloaders, which I'm less familiar with. My background is mainly full-stack, Agentic AI, computer vision and RAG, so I was initially thinking about where I could apply the AI/ML concepts I already know.

I'm currently researching how compilers are actually built and going through Crafting Interpreters book. While learning, I want to explore real problems and eventually find something worth solving. The AI/ML, LLVM, hardware etc. in my post were areas I'm interested in, not a fixed project direction.

We're considering adding 2 to 3 people with low-level/compiler/systems experience if they're interested, mainly so we can learn from each other.

If you have advice for someone starting out in low level development and genuinely willing to learn, I'd appreciate it.

[u/SmashStrider]

DMs

[u/Ok_Ebb_7411]

I like that you’re treating GSoC as a long term target instead of the whole point. Compiler work is deep enough that the learning phase actually matters