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In the keynote titled 'In Defense of GVL' presented at Euruko 2023, Yukihiro Matsumoto, the creator of the Ruby programming language, addresses the significance and complexities surrounding the Global Virtual Machine Lock (GVL). He highlights the differences between Ruby and Python, with Python recently adopting PEP 703—a proposal that makes the Global Interpreter Lock (GIL) optional, which contrasts with Ruby's GVL that ensures thread safety by allowing only one thread to execute at a time. Matsumoto elaborates on key points including:

- **Background of GVL and GIL**: The GIL is essential for thread safety in complex applications. It protects shared mutable data to prevent race conditions, which are common challenges in software development.
- **Evolution of Technology**: Over 30 years, advancements in hardware have led to the necessity for parallel processing due to multicore processors, which complicate the existing GIL architecture.
- **Potential Alternatives**: The abandonment of the GIL necessitates strategies such as fine-grained locking, which presents its own complexities including increased chances for bugs and potential performance issues.
- **Comparison with Python and PEP 703**: The GIL's removal is being pursued in Python through strategies like immortalization and biased reference counting, though these come with significant implementation challenges. Matsumoto appreciates Python’s efforts toward transparency in their approach while noting that Ruby's context is different due to its I/O-bound nature.
- **Ruby's Ractors**: Introduced in Ruby 3, Ractors allow concurrent operations while maintaining the GVL by creating separate threads for CPU-bound tasks, significantly enhancing performance in certain scenarios.

In conclusion, Matsumoto advocates for the continued importance of the GVL within the Ruby community, which can effectively leverage multi-core technology through concurrent structures, while gently encouraging developers to embrace productive and enjoyable programming practices. He also acknowledges the support from the Ruby community and sponsors throughout his career. The talk indicates that although discussions on the GIL's reduction or removal exist, they are not imminent priorities for Ruby's development, given the current effective use of multi-core processors despite the GVL's presence.

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