LinkedIn Declares War on AI-Generated Content

LinkedIn Takes on AI-Generated Content

For some time now, LinkedIn has been facing a notable decline in user experience. The culprit is the rise of generative AI, which allows certain users to mass-produce uniform and unoriginal content. These posts, often characterized by frequent line breaks, repetitive structures, and excessive use of the em dash, are flooding news feeds. On May 20, LinkedIn decided to respond by announcing that such content would now be penalized.

The Fight Against "Sloppy" Content

Laura Lorenzetti, Vice President and Editorial Head of LinkedIn, published a post highlighting the proliferation of what she calls AI slop. These contents, while seemingly polished, often lack depth and authentic perspectives. Lorenzetti emphasizes that the massive and automated use of AI dilutes the enriching exchanges that genuine human interactions can offer. LinkedIn does not prohibit the use of AI but insists that posts should genuinely reflect the author's voice.

Two types of content are particularly targeted: posts designed solely to generate engagement without adding value, and automated comments that merely rephrase the original content without introducing new ideas.

An Effective Detection System

To combat this content, LinkedIn has developed technological tools created by its editorial team. These systems, capable of recognizing characteristic signals, are designed to distinguish posts offering genuine expertise from generic texts. In tests, the system demonstrated impressive effectiveness, correctly identifying generic content in 94% of cases. Although these contents will not be deleted, their distribution will be limited, thereby reducing their visibility beyond the author's immediate circle. The full deployment of this technology may take several months before having a significant impact.

The Fight Against Fake AI Profiles

Laura Lorenzetti acknowledges that fake profiles and AI bots pose a threat to authentic interactions on the platform. Despite ongoing efforts by LinkedIn teams to eliminate them, AI continues to improve. To enhance security, LinkedIn has expanded its verification system. Now, a filter allowing only verified members to be displayed is available for profile views, applications, and comments in the news feed.