LinkedIn realizes its users have been bathing in AI slop, offers a shower

LinkedIn has acknowledged that its users have been inundated with AI-generated, low-quality content, leading to a shift in the platform's approach. Chief Product Officer Hari Srinivasan revealed several measures to rectify the situation. The "Seems like AI slop" button, which allows users to flag posts as AI-generated, has been integrated into the platform's interface.

This feature will not only report such content but also assist in refining LinkedIn's AI detection models to enhance user feeds. Additionally, the "enhance your post" button, which utilized AI to modify the wording of posts, will be replaced by an AI proofreading tool that maintains the original author's voice. This change aims to preserve the authenticity of user-generated content, a key reason why users turn to LinkedIn.

Srinivasan emphasized that LinkedIn prioritizes providing a space for genuine interactions and perspectives, and is committed to maintaining this ethos. The platform's efforts come amid growing concern over the prevalence of AI-generated content on LinkedIn. Reports from 2024 indicated that over half of long-form LinkedIn posts longer than 100 words were likely AI-generated, a statistic that has remained consistent.

LinkedIn's new initiatives aim to tackle this issue head-on, with AI detection systems being ramped up to identify and filter out low-quality or AI-generated content. Furthermore, user analytics dashboards will now include a feature that notifies users when their posts are flagged as potentially AI-generated, providing them with feedback from real users about authenticity.

Srinivasan made it clear that AI and slop are not synonymous, recognizing that many individuals use AI to refine their thoughts. However, the company aims to help users recognize when their content may lack authenticity, ensuring that LinkedIn remains a platform for genuine connections.