LinkedIn’s “AI Slop” Button: The Case for Better AI Content

The strongest AI-assisted content is made when the expertise behind it remains recognisably human, grounded in relevant industry knowledge.  

LinkedIn’s “Seems like AI slop” option puts a name to a growing problem.  The phrase may be informal, but it points to a serious issue for B2B marketers. AI can produce content that is polished, grammatically correct and technically sound in seconds. But when that content feels generic or disconnected from relevant expertise, it undermines the credibility and trust businesses work hard to build. 

AI has become a common part of B2B marketing. According to HubSpot, 66% of marketers use AI in their roles, with content creation among its most common applications. LinkedIn has also reported widespread use of generative AI among B2B marketers, reflecting how quickly these tools have become part of the content creation process. 

For businesses, AI can help teams work faster, manage repetitive tasks and make better use of limited time. It can help turn an idea into a first draft, structure a complex argument or repurpose existing content for different channels. 

However, faster content does not mean better content. Every piece of content should have a clear purpose, and a role within the wider business strategy.

The risk comes when AI starts supplying the ideas, opinions and skills that should make a brand's content distinctive. 

When AI Content Becomes a Brand Problem 

Poor AI content is often easy to spot. It relies on familiar industry language and visual cliches, makes broad claims without specific evidence and describes problems without offering a clear perspective on how to solve them. It looks and sounds professional, but reiterates what a competitor could have already said. 

AI also makes it easier to produce more content quickly, without considering whether it has a clear purpose. A high volume of content does not guarantee that something will resonate. Producing content to simply maintain a presence can create more noise without adding meaningful value for B2B audiences. 

That creates a problem for B2B brands wanting to demonstrate unique benefits with their content. Buyers want to understand how a business thinks about the problems they face, what it has learned and why its approach is different. Content that repeats established industry talking points does little to demonstrate a business’s knowledge or perspective. 

When content is polished but lacks a recognisable point of view, readers have less reason to believe there is genuine expertise behind it. Gartner found that 51% of B2B buyers believe they are more likely to encounter misleading information from GenAI, while 69% turn to sales representatives to validate AI-generated insights. 

This makes authenticity an important part of the content strategy for B2B businesses. Buyers need to see evidence of experience, judgment and industry knowledge, alongside well-written copy. 

Where AI Can Make B2B Marketing Better

Used properly, AI can make marketing teams more productive without taking ownership of the ideas behind their work. 

AI is particularly useful for the parts of marketing that are time-consuming or administrative. LinkedIn and Ipsos found that B2B marketers save around four hours per week across individual task areas by using AI, including content creation, research and recommendations.  

That time can then be put back into the work that creates real value. Understanding a market, forming a clear position and producing original ideas. 

How to Use AI Effectively

Good AI-assisted content starts with a clear strategy. Before using AI, define what you want the content to communicate about your brand, the value it offers and why it matters to your audience. 

• Keep content strategic. Avoid producing content for the sake of volume. Every piece should have a clear purpose, defined audience and role within the wider marketing strategy. 

• Define your position. Be clear about what the business believes, what it stands for and what you want the audience to take away. 

• Solve a customer problem. Focus on an issue your audience is genuinely trying to solve. 

• Bring in industry knowledge and evidence. Use what you know about your market, customers and sector, supported by research, examples and specific results. 

• Give AI a clear role. Use it to structure, refine, summarise or repurpose content, rather than determine the core message. 

• Protect your brand voice. Make sure the final content reflects how your business communicates and what makes its perspective distinctive. 

• Challenge the output. Review every claim, example and recommendation to make sure it is accurate and tailored to your audience. 

• Edit for substance. Cut anything that sounds impressive but does not add information or strengthen the argument. 

Avoiding the AI Slop Trap

AI can make B2B marketing more efficient. The question is what businesses do with the time it creates.

If AI summarises the research, teams can spend more time questioning the argument. If it repurposes content, they can focus on if the original idea is strong enough to deserve another format.

The risk is that easier production leads to more content, without giving enough thought to whether it deserves to be there in the first place.

Good AI-assisted content turns genuine expertise into content that buyers find useful.