LinkedIn Adds AI-Powered Search to Help Users Find People: What You Need to Know

LinkedIn has introduced an AI-powered people search feature that allows users to find the right connections using natural language queries. Instead of relying on complex filters or exact job titles, members can now search conversationally, making it easier to discover investors, mentors, experts, co-founders, and career opportunities. This update marks one of LinkedIn’s biggest AI upgrades yet.

For the last two years, LinkedIn has been quietly transforming into an AI-driven professional platform. From AI-generated ad copy to personalized digests, smart job-hunting advice, learning recommendations, and hiring assistance, the Microsoft-owned company has been embedding AI into nearly every corner of its ecosystem.

Now, LinkedIn is upgrading one of the most essential features on the platform: search. And this update is going to change the way millions of professionals connect, find opportunities, and grow their careers.

A Major Upgrade: Natural Language People Search

Earlier in 2025, LinkedIn introduced an AI-powered job search tool for U.S. members, allowing users to search for roles using simple, natural-language phrases. Instead of typing “data analyst remote Python,” users could simply type:

“Show me remote data analyst roles that require Python”
“Find entry-level marketing jobs in New York”

This was a huge shift, and now, the same capability is coming to people search, one of LinkedIn’s most heavily used features.

With the new AI-powered search, you can now type queries like:

“Find me investors in the healthcare sector with FDA experience.”
“Show me people who co-founded a productivity company and live in NYC.”
“Who in my network can help me understand hypothesis testing?”

These are the kinds of questions you’d normally ask a friend or mentor, not a search engine. But LinkedIn wants search to feel as natural as having a conversation.

Why This Matters: Traditional Search Was Limiting

Before AI, LinkedIn’s search was mostly lexical, meaning it relied heavily on keywords, exact job titles, and filters. If you didn’t know the exact phrasing to use, you might never find the right person.

Rohan Rajiv, Senior Director of Product Management at LinkedIn, explained it clearly in an interview with TechCrunch:

“With lexical search, you had to know the exact title or wrestle with filters. If you didn’t know the right combination, the right person remained undiscovered. The new AI-powered search is designed to be the fastest path to the person who can help you the most.”

This upgrade removes the guesswork.

Instead of trying different keywords, users can now describe the type of person they’re looking for, and LinkedIn’s AI will interpret the intent behind the query.

What Users Are Doing With the New Search

According to LinkedIn, early testing shows that users are leveraging AI search for:

Finding mentors and career support
Discovering potential co-founders
Identifying investors with specific backgrounds
Expanding their business network
Preparing for job transitions
Seeking people with technical or industry-specific expertise

This shows a clear trend: people don’t just want job listings – they want connection.

AI-Powered Search Is Becoming the Norm Across the Internet

LinkedIn isn’t alone in this shift.

As more people rely on AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Perplexity for direct answers, traditional search engines have had to evolve:

Google has integrated AI Overviews
Bing now offers conversational responses
DuckDuckGo and Brave use AI-powered answers
Reddit is licensing content for AI search and building its own tools

People expect instant, personalized, context-aware information – not just links.

LinkedIn, being the go-to platform for professional data, is naturally stepping into this space.

What About Data Restrictions?

Interestingly, unlike Reddit and other large platforms, LinkedIn has not yet restricted its data from AI agents and assistants.

Rajiv commented:

“We are still early in this age of browsers and how they work on behalf of people. Over time, we will have a sturdier policy.”

This suggests that future AI tools, whether browser extensions or personal assistants, may integrate deeper with LinkedIn data.

Who Can Use AI-Powered People Search?

LinkedIn is rolling out the new feature to Premium users in the United States first.
A global release is planned for the coming months.

If you have access, your search bar will change from “Search” to:

“I’m looking for…”

This signals that your search supports conversational queries.

Is the Search Perfect? Not Yet

Like any new AI feature, LinkedIn’s people search still has quirks.

For example:

Searching for “people who co-founded a YC startup” may give different results from typing “Y Combinator”
Queries involving “voice AI startups” may surface users with a LinkedIn Top Voice badge
Some results may be broader or narrower than expected

LinkedIn confirms it is actively improving query understanding and relevance.