LinkedIn is introducing AI-powered people search: How it works

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LinkedIn is making it easier than ever to find the right people on its platform, thanks to a new AI-powered people search feature that understands natural, everyday language. The company says the goal is simple: when you’re looking for help, guidance or opportunities, you should be able to find the right person without struggling to guess the perfect keywords.

For years, LinkedIn search worked like a typical database. You had to type in exact job titles, company names or specific skills to get useful results. If you didn’t know the right terms, you often ended up with irrelevant matches or no meaningful leads at all. This meant that many professionals—especially students, early-career job seekers or small business owners—found it difficult to discover the people who could help them.

The new AI-powered system changes that completely. You can now type a query the same way you’d say it to a friend. For example, a student who wants mentorship can simply ask, “UC Berkeley alumni who work in healthcare,” and LinkedIn will show relevant professionals even if the student doesn’t know the exact titles or keywords to use. A business owner can ask, “Who can help me file a patent?” and the search will quickly identify people in their network or extended network who have the right experience.

LinkedIn describes this upgrade as “turning on GPS for your career.” Instead of clicking through multiple filters or running several searches, the system interprets your intent and shows you people who not only match your query but also bring relevant experience and connections. It’s designed to make the platform feel more intuitive, especially for users who don’t always know how to structure a traditional search.

The feature is powered by LinkedIn’s massive dataset, which includes information from more than 1.3 billion professionals. Combined with AI, it allows the platform to understand context, expertise, and the strength of your network. So the results you see aren’t just names—they’re people who are more likely to be helpful or relevant based on what you’re looking for.

For now, LinkedIn is rolling out AI-powered people search to Premium subscribers in the United States. The company says it will continue expanding and refining the feature in the coming months. The bigger vision is to help users unlock more opportunities by simply making it easier to find someone who has “done it, lived it, and can help you get there.”

If you’ve ever felt stuck on LinkedIn because you didn’t know what to type in the search bar, this upgrade might finally make the platform feel like the professional guide it always promised to be.