LinkedIn is widening its use of AI by bringing natural-language search to the part of the platform people rely on most: finding other professionals.
Instead of guessing the right job titles or wading through a maze of filters, users can now type requests the way they’d speak, whether that’s looking for “investors in the healthcare sector with FDA experience,” “founders of productivity startups in New York,” or simply “someone in my network who can explain wireless networks.”
According to LinkedIn, the old system often buried the right people behind technical search rules. The new AI-driven approach is meant to surface those connections faster, and early testing shows members already using it to explore job leads, business prospects, and career advice.
The shift comes as nearly every major platform rushes to weave AI into its search tools, responding to growing competition from chatbots and AI-powered answer engines. While some companies have tightened access to their data for AI training, LinkedIn hasn’t taken that step yet, though it suggested firmer policies may emerge as the landscape evolves.
The feature is rolling out first to U.S. premium subscribers and will reach more regions over time. LinkedIn admits the system still has quirks, especially in searches tied to startups or niche AI fields, but said it’s working on smoothing out how the tool interprets and matches complex queries.
