LinkedIn, the professional networking platform owned by Microsoft, has introduced a new feature allowing users to flag posts and comments as "seems like AI slop." This update comes as concerns grow over the prevalence of AI-generated content on the platform.
The new reporting option allows users to identify content that they believe has been produced by artificial intelligence, a move that acknowledges the increasing amount of AI-generated text appearing on LinkedIn. According to an AI detection startup named Pangram, over 40 percent of long-form posts on the site may be AI-generated.
Hari Srinivasan, chief product officer at LinkedIn, stated that addressing AI-generated content is a "top priority." He explained that the new feature will help tune LinkedIn's models to improve user feeds by allowing members to report content they suspect is AI-generated. Srinivasan noted that the definition of "AI slop" is difficult to pin down and evolves over time.
This initiative marks a shift from LinkedIn's previous "enhance your post" feature, which aimed to assist users in composing content. The company is phasing out this feature, replacing it with a proofreading tool that will not alter a user's personal voice. Srinivasan commented that users often turn to AI for assistance with posting due to the platform's expectation of detailed content, but LinkedIn now seeks to maintain the authenticity of user expression.
The introduction of the "seems like AI slop" button follows a period of significant investment by Microsoft in artificial intelligence, with the company reportedly spending $41 billion on capital investments, including data center infrastructure to support AI advancements. This investment includes building out the infrastructure to service the AI revolution.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has previously discussed the evolving relationship between humans and AI. In January, he wrote about the need to develop a new equilibrium in how individuals relate to each other, acknowledging humans' use of "cognitive amplifier tools." Nadella suggested that this presents a crucial product design question for the future.