What internet is full of AI-generated content It’s something we’ve been talking about. for a long timebut there is one platform where the phenomenon is especially evident: LinkedIn. It’s no longer that the posts smell like AI for miles, it’s that the responses in the comments sound just as manufactured. Thanks to a complete Rest of World report We know exactly how this artificial ecosystem is being produced. It all starts in the Philippines.
What is happening. An entire industry of virtual assistants specializing in LinkedIn has flourished in the Philippines whose job is to manage the accounts of Western executives. Not only do they create those leadership posts that you’ve surely seen on the platform, they also comment on others’ posts, respond to comments and amplify messages as if they were the executives they represent, all using generative AI tools. This explains that feeling of déjà vu when reading certain LinkedIn posts with similar structures, predictable morals, and a suspiciously polished tone.
How they work. The report describes Renee’s (not her real name) day-to-day life as “posting and commenting on behalf of a London-based strategic investor.” In order to do her job, the employee received a four-page document containing the investor’s biography, her favorite books, and a list of topics that interested her. Per day, generate between 30 and 40 comments, trying to interact with accounts that generate more engagement.
They also tell the story of Alex, who works in an agency with 20 other assistants like him. He says that they have a WhatsApp group in which they notify each other when they publish a publication so that the rest can comment using their accounts, this way they can increase interactions and the algorithm boosts their publications. Of course, there are times when, due to the volume of comments, mistakes are made, such as one attendee who commented “Big win!” in a publication about 9/11.
Why Philippines. The answer lies in a combination of factors that have been turning the country into a benchmark for remote work for years. Mainly it is because almost half of the population speaks English. Furthermore, the Philippines is leader in customer service outsourcingwhich is why it has many professionals accustomed to support, marketing and digital management tasks for Western companies. And of course there is the salary issue. One of these virtual assistants earns between 4 and 7 dollars per hour, much cheaper than hiring them in the US or another Western country.
Virtual assistants. It is how you know the professionals who provide remote support services to companies or individuals. This industry was born during the pandemic with the rise of teleworking and increased thanks to many Western companies looking for cheaper and more flexible formulas to delegate work that was previously done by internal teams.
According to a Future Market Insights reportthe virtual assistant industry generated $19.5 billion in 2025 and estimates it will grow 184% in the next ten years. Still, not everyone sees this market as a solid long-term bet. Ivan Gonzales, a recruiter in the Philippines at Worca (an agency that connects Asian digital labor with American companies), believes that AI will end up absorbing a large part of this sector. Speaking to Rest of World, he directly describes it as a “dead-end job.”
What LinkedIn is doing. In a statement to Rest of World, LinkedIn claims to be strengthening its measures against “low-quality, automated or generic” content. The company explains that, although AI can help overcome the “blank page” problem, its algorithm is designed to reward authentic interactions. It doesn’t seem to be working much.
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