LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network, is integrating artificial intelligence into its core search functionality, enabling users to find people using natural language queries. This move marks a significant evolution from its traditional keyword- and filter-based system, aiming to make professional discovery more intuitive and efficient.
From Keywords to Conversation
For years, finding the right contact on LinkedIn required users to master a combination of specific job titles, keywords, and a complex array of filters. The new AI-powered search tool eliminates this friction by allowing users to type conversational prompts directly into the search bar.
Now, instead of manually filtering for industry, location, and experience, a user can simply ask, “Find me investors in the healthcare sector with FDA experience,” or “Who in my network can help me understand wireless networks.” The AI is designed to understand the context and intent behind these queries to deliver more relevant results.
A Faster Path to Opportunity
The goal is to streamline the process of making meaningful connections that can lead to new job opportunities, business partnerships, or career advice. This shift addresses a common challenge where valuable connections remained undiscovered due to the rigidity of lexical search.
“With lexical search, you have to know the exact title of the person, or you need to wrestle with filters to find the right person, maybe. And if you didn’t know the right combination, the right person remained undiscovered,” Rohan Rajiv, Senior Director of Product Management at LinkedIn, explained to TechCrunch. “The new AI-powered people search is designed to be the fastest path to the person who can help you the most.”
Relevance for the MENA Tech Ecosystem
For founders, VCs, and professionals in the MENA region, this tool presents a powerful new way to navigate the ecosystem. Entrepreneurs seeking funding can now search for “angel investors in Riyadh with a fintech portfolio” or “VCs in the UAE who have invested in B2B SaaS.”
Similarly, it can accelerate talent acquisition by allowing hiring managers to find candidates with niche skills, such as “software engineers in Cairo with experience in Arabic NLP.” The ability to use natural language to uncover specific expertise and connections across the region could significantly lower barriers to collaboration and growth within MENA’s burgeoning tech scene.
Rollout and Early Stages
LinkedIn is rolling out the AI-powered people search to its premium subscribers in the United States initially, with plans to expand its availability to other regions in the coming months.
The company acknowledges that the tool is still in its early stages and is actively working to refine its understanding of complex queries. Early tests show some inconsistencies, but the platform is committed to improving its performance over time.
About LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network on the internet. It can be used to find the right job or internship, connect and strengthen professional relationships, and learn the skills needed to succeed in your career. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Microsoft, LinkedIn’s mission is to connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful.
Source: TechCrunch
