AI-Generated Nonsense Is Starting to Appear on LinkedIn

In the last year, the popularity of AI writing tools has surged as they’ve become more accessible and user-friendly. With just a few prompts, these tools can produce complete articles and social media posts that, at first glance, appear to be authored by a human. Yet, a significant portion of this AI-generated content, particularly on platforms like LinkedIn, tends to adhere to a formulaic style characterized by an upbeat tone, frequent use of buzzwords, and generic insights that appeal to a wide audience but often lack originality.

If you’ve been scrolling through LinkedIn lately, you might have noticed a surge in posts that sound vaguely inspiring and insightful, yet ultimately lack substance. What’s behind this trend? Artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT, which allow users to generate professional-sounding posts effortlessly.

In the past year, the popularity of AI writing tools has skyrocketed as they’ve become more accessible and user-friendly. With just a few prompts, these tools can create entire articles and social media posts that, at first glance, seem human-written.

However, much of this AI-generated content, especially on LinkedIn, tends to follow a predictable style – upbeat tone, frequent buzzword usage, and generic insights appealing to a broad audience but lacking originality. Posts often feature vague statements about leadership, success, and innovation without delving into practical examples or providing real value.

This type of content, while harmless and somewhat engaging, has been dubbed “genai” (generated AI) due to its bland style. Genai posts are easy to spot, characterized by heavy jargon and filler statements, yet light on substantive ideas. They often resemble a mix of motivational posters and business school essays.

The proliferation of Gen AI on LinkedIn is starting to desensitize users, flooding feeds with shallow posts that blend together. As more people discover how easy it is to produce passable content with AI, the volume of Gen AI will likely continue to rise. While LinkedIn has always had its share of self-promotion and hype, AI is amplifying that superficial content.

To be clear, AI writing tools aren’t inherently bad. They can aid brainstorming, outlining, and overcoming writer’s block. However, problems arise when people rely too heavily on AI, sacrificing authenticity, expertise, and originality.

Taking a recent LinkedIn post as an example, which offers advice on leveraging AI and IoT technologies for businesses. While well-intentioned, I respectfully disagree with some of its recommendations and implications, especially concerning IoT. The post lacks specificity, oversimplifies complex topics, hypes up technologies without acknowledging challenges, and lacks original insights.

From my experience, the piecemeal approach to IoT mentioned isn’t suitable for many cases, considering the lengthy lifecycle for IoT projects to show results and the difficulty of effecting change at an operational level.

Another issue is the impersonal tone of the post, devoid of the author’s unique voice or perspective. It reads like a patchwork of generic snippets rather than genuine thoughts. This artificial tone is a clear indication of AI-generated content.

While the author’s intent is commendable, we need more posts on LinkedIn that draw on genuine expertise and experiences rather than regurgitating common talking points. AI can be a useful tool, but it should supplement, not replace, original thinking and authentic expression.

To elevate the discourse on LinkedIn, we should share insights rooted in real-world experience, highlight genuine accomplishments, and dare to express unique perspectives. This might be more challenging than using AI, but it’s how we’ll add value to our LinkedIn connections.

So, the next time you encounter a LinkedIn post filled with generic buzzwords and shallow insights, it’s likely Gen AI. Look for posts where the author’s knowledge and personality shine through. Let’s bring authenticity back to LinkedIn, even amidst the influx of Gen AI.