Over 54% of LinkedIn posts are now AI-generated
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become an integral part of the content we see online, with platforms like LinkedIn embedding AI into their offerings. The Microsoft-owned professional networking site now offers its premium subscribers in-house AI writing tools. These can "rewrite" posts, profiles, and direct messages. Now, an analysis by Originality AI, an AI detection start-up, says over 54% of longer English-language posts on LinkedIn are likely generated by AI.
AI usage surged following ChatGPT's launch
Originality AI analyzed a sample of 8,795 public LinkedIn posts over 100 words long, published between January 2018 and October 2024. The study found that AI writing tools were used on LinkedIn negligibly for the first few years but saw a significant increase at the start of 2023. "The uptick happened when ChatGPT came out," said Originality CEO Jon Gillham in report. At that point, Originality detected a 189% surge in likely AI-generated posts, which has since remained consistent.
LinkedIn's stance on AI-generated content
This surge in AI-generated posts marked a turning point in content creation on LinkedIn, which doesn't exactly keep a tab on how many posts are written/edited with AI tools. But, Adam Walkiewicz, LinkedIn's head of "feed relevance," told WIRED that they have strong defenses to proactively detect low-quality and duplicate content. He stressed that while AI can help review drafts or overcome writer's block, the original thoughts and ideas shared by members are what really matter on the platform.
A boon for non-native English speakers
Many LinkedIn users also depend on general-purpose large language models to write their posts. Content writer Adetayo Sogbesan told WIRED that she uses Anthropic's Claude to write rough drafts of posts. "Of course, there's a lot of editing done after," but the chatbot still "helps me save a lot of time," she says. Non-native English speakers also find these tools useful. Journalist and marketer Cigdem Oztabak has used AI to rework posts originally written in Turkish—her first language.
AI writing tools spark controversy and debate
The use of AI in writing has been controversial. Some writers and artists vehemently oppose using large language models trained on human-created works without permission or compensation, arguing that these tools devalue human writing. On LinkedIn, entrepreneur Zack Fosdyck has received mixed feedback about his use of automated tools. "Some people engaged positively, appreciating the clarity and structure of the posts. Others were skeptical or critical," he told WIRED.
