LinkedIn has introduced an AI-powered people search feature exclusively for Premium subscribers in the United States, marking a significant evolution in the platform’s search capabilities. This new tool allows users to find professionals by typing natural, conversational queries such as “investors in healthcare with FDA experience” or “people who co-founded a productivity company in NYC,” rather than relying on exact job titles or keywords. By leveraging LinkedIn’s vast professional data of over 1.3 billion profiles combined with advanced AI models, the system interprets user intent and ranks search results based on relevance, network proximity, and likelihood of response. This approach overcomes the limitations of traditional keyword-based searches, which often required precise titles or filters, thus broadening professional discovery and networking opportunities.
Despite its promise, early use reveals some challenges. For example, searches for “people who co-founded a YC startup” and “Y Combinator” yielded inconsistent results, indicating the system is still refining its understanding of complex queries. LinkedIn is actively working on improving these capabilities to better match users’ intent.
Currently, LinkedIn boasts approximately 175 million Premium subscribers worldwide, positioning it to leverage AI to enhance user experience and professional connections substantially.
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