We know the public’s reaction to AI content on social media is mixed, but how do social media platforms feel about it? (To the extent that circuits and corporations can have an emotional response). Are social media platforms cracking down on AI content or promoting it?
The answer is that while some social media platforms are promoting the use of AI tools within their apps, they are also increasingly requiring users to identify AI-generated content, like Meta’s AI content labels, and are taking matters into their own hands when they don’t. Other platforms have taken a harder stance against AI.
Meta, LinkedIn and Reddit are each taking a different approach: Meta is rolling out AI content labels, LinkedIn is letting users flag AI content, and Reddit is blocking bots at scale. These varied responses show the delicate line these platforms are walking: They don’t want to get left behind by the AI gravy train, but they also don’t want their users’ feeds clogged with generic content that makes them tune out.
What does all this mean for your business? Well, you should definitely know the AI rules you’re working with so you don’t get slapped with surprise AI labels or penalties that erode your reputation.
To avoid any backlash, here is a breakdown of what some of the most popular social platforms are doing about AI.
Meta AI Content Labels: Aggressive Integration & Labeling
Meta is perhaps the most enthusiastic platform about AI, but be warned that this eagerness extends to its labeling practices.
In keeping with Mark Zuckerberg’s obsession with being at the forefront of tech, Meta has created its own AI model that you can use to help you craft posts or images. (This aggressive AI push extends to its advertising platform, which often integrates AI features that you didn’t ask for.)
When it comes to labeling, Meta surprised businesses and content creators last month when it began widespread automatic Meta AI content labels, even for posts that weren’t obviously created by AI.
This campaign extended to content using common Canva AI features, such as its popular background remover tool (which had been in use well before the gen AI boom). This sparked a backlash from some creators who vowed to stop using the tool entirely.
Meta uses metadata to detect AI. When you prompt a Generative AI model, such as ChatGPT, and ask it for an image, it gives you what you ask for — but with a secret surprise hidden in the file’s code: A message that tells other platforms that its output is AI. This information remains embedded in your content unless you edit the original AI image in another platform, such as Canva or Adobe.
A warning: Sometimes, Meta incorrectly labels content as AI. In this event, you may want to delete your post and try to upload it again.
How your business should respond: If you’re posting AI content without editing it first to your business’ page, you’re already putting yourself at risk of looking like every other brand. Add your own spin on your content and avoid a Meta AI-label. It’s a win-win.
LinkedIn AI Policy: Cracking Down On AI Slop
LinkedIn is taking a more anti-AI stance than Meta. Instead of relying solely on automatic metadata tags, they’re outsourcing the policing to their own community.
The professional networking site recently introduced a feature that allows users to report posts as “Seems like AI slop.”
This measure seems targeted at text posts that don’t bring value to the algorithm.
It makes sense: For a platform heavily reliant on providing access to thought-leaders in their industries, you wouldn’t want to bore people with a bunch of regurgitated AI information. And research suggests that lately, up to 81% of long posts on the website are written by AI, not humans.
LinkedIn even made changes to its own AI writing assistant for Premium subscription holders, downgrading it to a “proofreader.”
How your business should respond: Content reported as AI slop is suppressed by LinkedIn’s algorithm. To keep your account in good standing and keep within LinkedIn’s AI content policy, we recommend putting more effort behind your content. Share personal anecdotes and professional experiences, and review any copy to make it sound more human and less generic.
Reddit Bots: Putting a Stop to AI Bots
Reddit, meanwhile, is taking a hard stance against AI spam perpetrated by bots working on behalf of businesses. The site says that it is detecting and putting a stop to around 25,000 AI spam posts and comments daily.
Why the proliferation of AI spam? Reddit is famously a preferred source for AI citations. OpenAI and Google both have content deals with the platform. Some brands figured they could game the system by using bots on Reddit to artificially increase mentions of their brand on the platform, thereby boosting their SEO.
Reddit also recently started automatically flagging and hiding so-called slop from users’ feeds, as well.
How your business should respond: Reddit can be a valuable part of your AEO strategy, but you shouldn’t cheat the system. If you have a brand account on Reddit, you’re better off monitoring relevant subreddits and only commenting when you can add genuine value to the conversation.
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