Intellectual Fly Is Open
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Bryan Cantrill wrote that undisclosed LLM-generated LinkedIn posts are obvious and erode authenticity. Readers should care because AI writing risks masking real voices and trust.
Background
Bryan Cantrill, a prominent technologist, published a blog post on December 5, 2025, titled 'Your intellectual fly is open,' criticizing the widespread use of LLMs to generate LinkedIn content without disclosure. He argues that such writing is stylistically grating and filled with tells that make it easy to spot, leading readers to question the authenticity of the author's real thoughts. The post originated as a LinkedIn post on November 11, 2025, and has since sparked discussion on platforms like Hacker News and Reddit.
How it unfolded
- Nov 11, 2025Bryan Cantrill publishes the original essay as a LinkedIn post.
- Dec 5, 2025Cantrill republishes the essay on his personal blog, 'Your intellectual fly is open.'
- Sep 6, 2026The essay gains renewed attention on Hacker News and Reddit, with users debating the ethics of undisclosed AI writing.
Who’s saying what
- Author
- Cantrill argues that LLM-generated content is stylistically poor and undermines the author's authenticity, urging people to write in their own voice.
- Skeptic
- A Hacker News commenter questions whether the objection is really about writing quality, noting that if LLMs improve, the argument might weaken.
- Support
- Another commenter agrees, calling undisclosed LLM writing 'intellectual catfishing' because it misrepresents the author's true conversational ability.