LinkedIn CEO admits AI writing tool lacks popularity

In the United States, LinkedIn's CEO Ryan Roslansky recently revealed that the platform's AI writing tool, designed to enhance posts written by users, has not achieved expected popularity among its large user base of over one billion members. During an interview with Bloomberg last week, Roslansky discussed how the AI tool aims to polish user-generated content before publication, yet its reception has been lukewarm. He acknowledged that this lack of traction may be due to the professional nature of LinkedIn, where users are more concerned about authenticity and the potential negative perception of AI-generated content. Roslansky highlighted that on LinkedIn, users fear they may be criticized for posts that seem AI-generated, explaining that doing so could harm their professional reputation. This concern is heightened in a setting where personal branding and the ability to create economic opportunities are pivotal. As a contrast, he pointed out that other social media platforms, such as X and TikTok, do not have the same stringent expectations regarding authenticity, suggesting that being called out for AI use on those platforms carries less consequence for users. Despite the lack of popularity for the external AI tool, Roslansky shared that he finds internal AI writing tools, like Microsoft Copilot, to be quite beneficial. He stated that he personally employs these suggestions when drafting emails to Microsoft’s CEO, Satya Nadella. This duality illustrates the complex relationship between AI tools and professional environments. While AI-generated content for personal posts may not be embraced, internal AI tools are increasingly becoming relevant and useful for day-to-day communications within organizations. In recent years, the emphasis on AI skills in the job market has soared, with a sixfold increase in positions requiring AI-related expertise across various industries. Concurrently, the number of LinkedIn users adding AI skills to their professional profiles has skyrocketed twentyfold, indicating a growing recognition of AI's importance. Nonetheless, there’s also a trend of employers carefully scrutinizing AI usage among candidates. Surveys reveal that many hiring managers are using AI to evaluate applications, yet a significant portion also expressed skepticism towards AI-generated resumes and automatically reject them based on perceived lack of authenticity. As the job market continues to adapt to technological advancements, the tension between embracing AI and maintaining an authentic professional image appears to be a key issue for LinkedIn users.