OpenAI's Gabriel Petersson demonstrates how attaching any random image dramatically boosts LinkedIn post reach
Story Overview
An OpenAI research engineer posted a LinkedIn update on AI work next to a random nighttime party photo pulled from his camera roll, then shared the screenshot on X to poke fun at how the professional platform appears to push any image-heavy post regardless of relevance or context.
A builder's follow-up plan
One prominent tech founder replied that he will try the same random-photo tactic on his own LinkedIn posts to see whether impressions rise, leaving the outcome still untested in public.
Limits of the current evidence
No impression counts, controlled tests, or LinkedIn statements have appeared yet, so the reach boost remains an observed pattern rather than a measured result.
Some users praised the researcher's random party photo hack as genius for gaming LinkedIn's algorithm, while many others called the tactic cringey and lamented the platform turning superficial and Instagram-like.
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Most Activity
can everyone go and support me on linkedin please i need the algorithm to wake up, thank you
im getting more inbound from posting jokes about my linkedin posts on x than im getting on linkedin smh
linkedin is so funny, you just have to post photos on everything to get impressions
at this point im just selecting completely random unrelated photos in my camera roll
shout out to @rikardradovac, follow him he is cracked
linkedin is so funny, you just have to post photos on everything to get impressions
at this point im just selecting completely random unrelated photos in my camera roll
SMASH THAT NOTIFICATION BUTTON AND SMASH LIKE FOR EVERY POST YOU SEE
this is how you support small local businesses (soon to be a trillion dollar empire)
can everyone go and support me on linkedin please i need the algorithm to wake up, thank you
im getting more inbound from posting jokes about my linkedin posts on x than im getting on linkedin smh
@gabriel1 Let me comment on this post something Linked-ish !
@petrroyce actually no it's just bugged. i have not paid for 8 years, dont tell anyone at linkedin
@gabriel1 But why
@gabriel1 i see you are linkedin pro
@gabriel1 OK, I need to try it out now.
linkedin is so funny, you just have to post photos on everything to get impressions
at this point im just selecting completely random unrelated photos in my camera roll
@monty10x my intuition say ~2.7x
@gabriel1 Dude looks like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yung_Hurn
@gabriel1 It doesn’t even matter how slop the message itself is if you have whatever image there
@gabriel1 linkedin saw 'photo attached' and gave it 40,000 impressions before reading a word
@gabriel1 Does LinkedIn know you are making fun of them here lol
@gabriel1 what marginal engagement do you attribute to the acne mock neck?
@gabriel1 In the same boat man, need to revive my LinkedIn
@gabriel1 gab you havent accept my connection request
@gabriel1 👍
@gabriel1 I think the more random photo the better the engagement lol
@gabriel1 Be honest are u getting all distracted by linkedin
@gabriel1 Ok fine, I will follow you on Linkedin. But you better go with the "actually last pic on my camera roll" approach.