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+# Apache Thrift — AI Contribution Guidelines
+
+This file governs AI-assisted work on the Apache Thrift codebase.
+It supplements but does **not** replace [`CONTRIBUTING.md`](CONTRIBUTING.md).
+
+---
+
+## 1. ASF Legal Compliance (Third-Party Code)
+
+Apache Thrift is an [Apache Software Foundation (ASF)](https://www.apache.org/) project released under the **Apache License 2.0**.
+The AI **must** actively enforce and monitor ASF licensing policy:
+
+- **Proactively flag conflicts**: Before introducing any dependency, snippet, or code derived from an external source, verify its license is compatible with Apache 2.0.
+  Incompatible licenses include (non-exhaustive): GPL, AGPL, SSPL, BUSL, CC-BY-NC.
+  Compatible examples: MIT, BSD-2/3, Apache 2.0, ISC, MPL 2.0 (with caveats).
+- **Category X / Category A**: Follow the [ASF Third-Party Licensing Policy](https://www.apache.org/legal/resolved.html).
+  Category A licenses may be included; Category X licenses must **never** be introduced.
+- **Update `LICENSE` and `NOTICE`**: When adding third-party code or binaries that require attribution, add the appropriate notices to `LICENSE` and/or `NOTICE` following the [ASF guide on licenses and notices](https://www.apache.org/dev/licensing-howto.html).
+  If in doubt whether an entry is required, **add it and flag it in the PR description** for committer review.
+- **Generative AI output**: The [ASF Generative Tooling Guidance](https://www.apache.org/legal/generative-tooling.html) applies. Be aware that AI-generated code may unintentionally reproduce copyrighted material. Flag any non-trivial generated blocks in commit messages or PR descriptions.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Issue Tracking
+
+| Type | Tracker | Notes |
+|---|---|---|
+| Significant changes | [Apache JIRA — THRIFT project](https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/THRIFT) | Required for all non-trivial PRs |
+| Minor / quick fixes | GitHub Issues | Typos, trivial compiler warnings, etc. |
+
+**JIRA integration with GitHub**: Including a JIRA ticket identifier at the start of a PR title automatically creates a link from JIRA to the PR.
+
+- PR title format: `THRIFT-9999: Short description of the change`
+- Commit message format (required for code changes):
+  ```
+  THRIFT-9999: Short description of the change
+  Client: cpp,py,java   (comma-separated list of affected languages)
+  ```
+
+Example: [THRIFT-5929](https://issues.apache.org/jira/projects/THRIFT/issues/THRIFT-5929) → [PR #3350](https://github.com/apache/thrift/pull/3350).
+
+---
+
+## 3. Pull Request Requirements
+
+Follow [`CONTRIBUTING.md`](CONTRIBUTING.md) in full. Key points:
+
+- One commit per issue (squash before submitting).
+- All significant changes need a JIRA ticket.
+- Provide tests for every submitted change.
+- Verify coding standards: `make style`.
+- Branch name convention: use the JIRA ticket ID, e.g. `THRIFT-9999`.
+- PRs go from your fork branch → `apache:master`.
+
+---
+
+## 4. AI-Generated Contributions
+
+Per [`CONTRIBUTING.md § AI generated content`](CONTRIBUTING.md#ai-generated-content) and the [ASF Generative Tooling Guidance](https://www.apache.org/legal/generative-tooling.html):
+
+- **Always** label AI-assisted commits and PRs. Use one or both of:
+  ```
+  Co-Authored-By: <AI tool name and version>
+  Generated-by: <AI tool name and version>
+  ```
+  Example:
+  ```
+  THRIFT-9999: Fix connection timeout handling in Go client
+  Client: go
+
+  Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
+  ```
+- Apply this label even when AI only generated a portion of the change.
+- The human author remains responsible for reviewing, testing, and standing behind all submitted code.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Language-Specific Rules (`/lib`, `/test`, `/tutorial`)
+
+- This file remains valid in all cases and must be used in addition to any additional language-specific rules.
+- If a target-language directory under `/lib/<lang>/` contains its own `CLAUDE.md` or `AGENTS.md`, those rules apply to all work in that language directory.
+- Those language-specific rules extend **by implication** to the corresponding language code under `/test/` and `/tutorial/`.
+- If `/test/` or `/tutorial/` themselves contain a `CLAUDE.md`/`AGENTS.md` for a given language, **combine** the rules: the file **closer to the code** (i.e., in the same directory) takes precedence on any conflict.
+
+---
+
+## 6. Quick Reference Checklist (before opening a PR)
+
+- [ ] License of any new dependency checked against [ASF Category A/X list](https://www.apache.org/legal/resolved.html)
+- [ ] `LICENSE` and/or `NOTICE` updated if third-party attribution is required
+- [ ] JIRA ticket exists (unless truly trivial)
+- [ ] PR title starts with `THRIFT-NNNN:` (if ticket exists)
+- [ ] Commit message includes affected `Client:` languages
+- [ ] Single squashed commit
+- [ ] Tests added or updated
+- [ ] `make style` passes
+- [ ] AI authorship labelled with `Co-Authored-By:` / `Generated-by:` where applicable
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+@AGENTS.md