AI generated content. It’s not great, it’s not unique but it’s something that’s prevalent. It’s these short sentences. It’s a long way and a lot of words to say not very much, maybe a word will be in bold. Why am I always seeing certain punctuation marks—more so, why is everyone in my organization suddenly writing in American English? Let’s delve into it.

If any of the sentences above appear familiar to you, that’s because they probably are. These are some of the sentence structures that are consistently being spat out by AI engines and, if you take a look at your LinkedIn feed, some posts may well now stick out like a sore thumb.

The posts tend to have a similar depersonalised feeling to the content and often follow the same formula. LinkedIn is supposed to be a platform which emphasises the individual – but if the individual outsources their own thoughts to AI, then their posts lose their human differentiator, and that’s becoming a problem.

There have been suggestions that a backlash against the so-called AI-slop is coming, but, arguably, it is already here. LinkedIn has announced new measures to fight the overuse of AI generated content by accounts by limiting their reach, though how they intend to enforce this is not yet clear…

Why is AI-generated content suddenly everywhere? For one, the accessibility and proliferation of AI models have significantly increased compared to say two years ago, which means that more of us can use AI to draft content quickly – and so more of us are doing so. Since LinkedIn places an emphasis on the regularity of posting as a way of maintaining visibility in the timelines, users are resorting to AI as the quick way to draft content. Not only does it save time, but it also helps those with less to say and who are beholden to the algorithm to post more to stay relevant and present.

Filling the content gap with AI content prompted by some vague thoughts, gives the model less to work with, thereby effectively ensuring that the output is robotic.

AI content is even an issue in comments section under posts – they often just parrot the points in the post above, in the knowledge that increased engagement on the platform increases their profile’s exposure and reach across the platform.

So why is this an issue? Communications is inherently a person (or group of people) speaking to an audience, whether that be a group or an individual. Proper communication engenders trust, understanding and all that good stuff, but when the human aspect is lost, then so is the trust, and often the chance that people will listen. As anyone who has interacted with a customer service chatbot can attest, it’s not quite the same as dealing with a human.

So, how can you stand out? Plain and simple you need to lean into yourself and show your human side. Whilst having a strong corporate presence online is important, personal LinkedIn profiles tend to generate far more engagement and reach, as people prefer to hear from an authentic presence. If you’re in the C-suite, and want to be a visible leader, one of the simplest and most compelling ways to engage with your audience is to just pick up a camera and talk directly to them. Shortform video content is a highly successful format on LinkedIn, and the platform is reporting a rise in video being shared, as it performs well in the algorithm. However, video still needs to be produced well to actually perform better, more on that here.

Video is ubiquitous across all media, so an integrated approach which includes media, podcasts, Substack contributions, and other opportunities, will provide strong, compelling and reassuring profile building. This gives the opportunity to talk directly to your audiences demonstrating that human side that many appear to have lost in their posts.

And how can Cardew help? We can work with you to understand your audiences, communications priorities and most importantly your tone of voice. With our team of experts, we can take some of the burden of content creation and work with you to co-create content that your audience understands and engages with.

If you want to find out more about how we can help you be heard across platforms, get in touch: digital@cardewgroup.com.