LinkedIn recently launched a new AI-powered people search experience for its Premium subscribers in the United States. This update lets users find professionals using natural language questions instead of traditional keywords and filters. The company says this will make searching faster and more accurate, helping members connect more efficiently.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]} ### Easier Professional Discovery The new search feature aims to simplify how people find connections on the platform. Previously, users often struggled with complex filters and exact job titles. One wrong keyword could hide the right person. Rohan Rajiv, LinkedIn's Senior Director of Product Management, noted that the older method forced users to "wrestle with filters."^[1][2][8] Now, the system understands what users mean, even if their requests are conversational.^{[1][3][5][7][8]} For example, a user can type "Find me investors in the healthcare sector with FDA experience" or "Show me people who co-founded an AI company in NYC."^{[1][2][3][7][8]} The AI interprets these requests and provides relevant matches based on skills, experience, and location data from LinkedIn's vast professional network.^[1][3][5] This shift moves away from rigid keyword searches to more intent-driven matching.^[2][3] The search bar itself has changed for eligible members. Instead of simply saying "Search," it now prompts users with "I'm looking for..."^[1][2][3] This encourages a more natural way of asking for information, making the search process feel more intuitive.^[1] LinkedIn believes this will become the fastest way for members to find the people who can help them most.^[2][8] ### Expanding AI Integration This people search feature builds on LinkedIn's earlier efforts to integrate artificial intelligence across its platform. Earlier in 2025, LinkedIn rolled out an AI job search tool for U.S. members.^{[1][2][9][10][8]} That tool also allowed natural language queries, helping job seekers find roles that fit their needs without guessing keywords.^[1][9] LinkedIn has also added AI tools for ad creation, job postings, content generation, and learning.^[1][2][8] The company's strategy is to bring AI to its core features, making professional networking more efficient. This is especially important as other platforms and AI agents increasingly use AI for information retrieval and professional discovery.^{[1][2][10][7][8]} LinkedIn's vast dataset of over 900 million user profiles makes it a crucial resource for AI-powered professional tools.^[2][10] Rohan Rajiv stated that the new AI people search is "designed to be the fastest path to the person who can help you the most."^[2][8] This highlights LinkedIn's focus on speeding up connections and making the professional network more actionable for its users. The goal is to turn connections into real opportunities, whether for launching a business, changing careers, or finding mentors.^[5][7] ### Initial Performance and Future Plans Early testing of the AI-powered people search shows promising results, but also some areas for improvement.^[2][3] The system is still learning to interpret all nuances of natural language. For instance, searching for "people who co-founded a YC startup" might yield different results than "people who co-founded a Y Combinator startup."^[1][2][3] Sometimes, a search for "voice AI startup" might show profiles with a "Top Voice" badge, suggesting the AI occasionally overemphasizes certain tags.^[1][2][3] LinkedIn acknowledged these accuracy gaps and confirmed it is actively refining its query understanding.^[1][2][3] The company is working to improve how the AI handles acronyms, synonyms, and industry jargon.^[3] This ongoing iteration will help the models more accurately understand user intent and match prompts to the right people, companies, and skills.^[3] The current rollout is limited to Premium subscribers in the United States.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][10][7]} However, LinkedIn plans to expand this feature to more regions and additional membership tiers in the coming months.^{[1][3][4][5][10]} This phased approach allows the company to gather feedback and refine the AI models before a wider release.^[3] This strategic rollout aims to give Premium members early access to a powerful tool that enhances the value of their subscriptions.^[2][10] The long-term vision is to create a conversational assistant that understands user needs and helps them take the next steps in their professional journey.^[3]