Scrolling through LinkedIn lately feels like walking through a hall of mirrors. The same post, over and over, wearing different profile pictures.
“X vs Y: Why one is better than the other.” A comparison table. Some bullet points. A few rocket emojis. Maybe an infographic. And an “opinion” that doesn’t actually say anything.
Here’s what bothers me. It’s not that these posts are written by AI. If AI helps you write more, faster, or clearer, use it. I do. The tool isn’t the problem.
The problem is that these posts have the shape of an opinion without the spine of one.
Positions without posture
A real comparison takes a stance. It says “I’ve used both, and here’s what I actually think.” It acknowledges tradeoffs. It accepts that some people will disagree. That’s what makes it useful. I can read your reasoning and decide if I trust it. I can push back. I can learn something.
But these posts don’t do that. They list “pros” and “cons” that could apply to almost anything. They conclude with something like “it depends on your use case” as if that needed saying. They’re designed to collect head-nods, not to actually say anything. I’ve now seen the exact same comparison post, clearly fully AI-generated, posted by multiple people on my feed. Not similar. Identical. And I’ve seen people accusing each other of stealing it. Fighting over ownership of a nothing-burger.
Why does positionless content exist?
Because it works. Or at least, it performs. Taking a real stance creates friction. It loses followers. “Azure is better than AWS for shops with strong Microsoft DNA” will upset someone. “Both have pros and cons!” upsets nobody. The algorithm rewards engagement, and safe content gets more engagement than risky content. So people optimize for engagement, not for actually communicating something.
I get it. I understand the incentive. But I miss disagreeing with something.
What I’d rather see
Tell me what you actually think. Not what both sides think. Not a neutral summary of options. Your take. Based on your experience. With your reasoning exposed.
A real opinion gives me something to work with. I can add my perspective. I can share why I see it differently. Sometimes you’ll change my mind. Sometimes I’ll add a nuance you hadn’t considered. That’s how ideas get better. But I can’t have that conversation with a post that doesn’t actually say anything. There’s nothing to respond to. No perspective to engage with. Just… content.
If you’re going to use AI to help you write (and again, I think you should if it helps), at least start with something worth saying. Have the opinion first. Then let the machine help you articulate it.
The alternative is contributing to a feed full of mirrors. Everyone posting, nobody saying anything. And a bunch of people fighting over who owns the silence.
Just tell me what you really think.
