“Digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” That’s Merriam-Webster’s definition of AI ‘slop’, which the venerable American dictionary named its word of the year in December – a verdict echoed by Macquarie Dictionary, respected gatekeeper of Australian English.

AI slop is everywhere. It clogs up news feeds, overwhelms Google search results, and even litters academic publishing.

Worst of all, LinkedIn is drowning in it.

You may have noticed. Open LinkedIn now and scroll to the first long-form post. Chances are you’ll see many of the usual tell-tale signs of AI-speak.

Sentences are clipped to three words or full of ubiquitous ‘em’ (—) dashes. Ideas ‘resonate’ and vibes ‘shift’. Everything is ‘quiet’ (quiet confidence, quiet leadership, quiet quitting), and everyone is busy reflecting on their path in life.

Why does this matter? (And yes, ‘matter’ is another word beloved of the slop machine).

Because people are listening. We live in a world where what we say online is parsed for hidden meaning. It’s easy to say the wrong thing. Or to utter the right thing but at the wrong time.

How many of us dither around on LinkedIn, liking a bunch of posts and congratulating faraway pseudo-acquaintances on their 14th work anniversary, before quietly logging off.

It’s understandable. Finding your public voice is no simple task. When you do locate it, you hesitate. You feel exposed. Wielding it with intent can be root-canal painful.

Little wonder so many people get AI to speak for them. Yes, asking Claude to say what we think can feel like cheating. But hey, no one gets hurt. And Claude’s words are usually good enough.

Until they aren’t. According to the Prolific Voices Influence Index 2026, CEO posting frequency rose 52% year-on-year, with CEO posts generating seven times more impressions than brand-led content. LinkedIn is where leaders demonstrate sound judgement and build credibility.

And the audience reading these posts is high-value. LinkedIn is home to 310 million active users, 65 million decision-makers and 10 million C-level executives. An estimated 45% of article readers occupy senior corporate roles.

Not being in the mix costs you. Almost every recruiter scours the platform for candidates for jobs or board seats, and many skip past profiles that are outdated or inactive. Professionals with neglected profiles get fewer job offers than those with active ones.

The message is clear. LinkedIn is no longer optional. It’s where leaders speak and career arcs build momentum or stall.

But being present and actually getting your voice heard on the platform are two different things. Showing up is the easy part. Sounding like yourself when you ‘speak’ is trickier.

Therein lies the rub. If you can build a voice that’s clearly yours, you will stand out from the crowd. And if that voice conveys credibility and is deployed consistently, it will cut through with readers in ways it simply couldn’t a few years ago.

Like any social platform, LinkedIn reaches the world. That’s the opportunity.

If you want Claude to remain your AI speech writer, that’s fine. But a while ago, LinkedIn discovered that more than half of all long-form posts from influential profiles are AI-generated and re-tuned its algorithm accordingly. It now rewards ‘obviously human’ messaging over polished posts that scream AI: the former reach way more people than the latter.

Knowing that LinkedIn now penalises AI-generated posts is one thing. Showing up week after week to write something credible is another. Most leaders try. They post once, twice, then slip back to slop.

Building a credible public voice, though, doesn’t have to be that hard. Whether you’re a young professional or a corporate leader, the challenge is the same. It takes focused work upfront with the right editorial partners. Once built though, the voice is yours: portable, ownable and recognisable.

Think of it like a passport. It travels with you. And it never expires, though you do need to renew it occasionally. You don’t reapply for it every year.

Which is why I’ve recently joined Leon Communications as Consulting Editor. The partnership combines Leon’s strategic positioning and PR muscle with the editorial discipline I bring through Edington Advisors.

Together we help senior leaders build a credible public voice that travels with them. We diagnose your current profile, positioning and public presence. We develop your themes and perspectives, edit your early posts, and amplify the message through strategic PR.

What you gain is a voice that is credible, consistent, and aligned to your role. A voice that sits in your lane. That grants you a stronger presence with clients, peers and stakeholders. That gives you greater confidence communicating publicly.

And a voice you can carry with you for the rest of your career.

To find out more, contact Tim Williamson at Leon Communications or Elliot Wilson at Edington Advisors.