LinkedIn is introducing AI-driven people search, a major expansion of its AI capabilities aimed at simplifying how users connect with the right professionals. The new feature allows members to search using natural language queries, such as “Find me investors in the healthcare sector with FDA experience” or “Who in my network can help me understand wireless networks.”
This upgrade builds on LinkedIn’s earlier AI job search tool, launched in the U.S. earlier this year, which lets users look for roles conversationally rather than through filters or job titles.
“With lexical search, you had to know the exact title or wrestle with filters,” said Rohan Rajiv, senior director of product management at LinkedIn. “The new AI-powered people search is designed to be the fastest path to the person who can help you the most.”
Early testing shows users are leveraging the tool to find mentors, investors, and business partners more efficiently.
A Smarter, More Conversational Search Experience
The AI-powered search replaces the traditional “Search” bar with a more conversational prompt: “I’m looking for…”, inviting users to describe their needs in plain language.
While the system is still being refined — for example, results for “people who co-founded a YC startup” differ from “Y Combinator” — LinkedIn says it’s improving query understanding and result relevance.
The feature is currently rolling out to premium users in the U.S., with broader global availability planned in the coming months.
AI and the Future of Professional Search
LinkedIn’s move reflects a broader trend: every major platform, from Google and Bing to Reddit and DuckDuckGo, is infusing AI into search to keep pace with conversational tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity.
Despite being one of the most used data sources in AI demos and agent experiments, LinkedIn has not restricted third-party access to its data — though Rajiv hinted that policies around browser-based access may evolve.
“This is sort of an area where it’s going to be hard to find a substitute for the real thing,” Rajiv noted. “Because this is the worst the search has ever been.”
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