LinkedIn’s new AI search finds people by what you need

According to The Verge, LinkedIn is launching an AI-powered search feature that lets users find people by describing who they’re looking for rather than searching exact names or titles. You can now enter descriptive searches like “Northwestern alumni who work in entertainment marketing” or ask questions like “Who can help me understand the US work visa system?” The platform will use AI to surface the best matches and rank results based on your potential connections and relevance. This follows LinkedIn’s AI-enhanced job search launched in May that let people search for openings by describing their ideal career. The AI people search is rolling out to Premium users in the US starting today, with plans to bring it to all users soon.

Search gets smarter

This is actually a pretty significant upgrade to how LinkedIn search has traditionally worked. Instead of playing the keyword matching game—where you need to know exactly what job title someone has or which company they work at—you can now just describe what you’re trying to accomplish. It’s like the difference between asking a librarian for a specific book title versus explaining what problem you’re trying to solve and getting recommendations.

Premium push

Here’s the thing: LinkedIn is launching this for Premium users first, which makes perfect business sense. They’re basically using this as another carrot to get people to upgrade. But Rohan Rajiv, LinkedIn’s senior director of product management, says they plan to bring it to all users eventually. The question is how long that “soon” actually means. Could be months, could be longer—but it’s clearly part of their broader AI strategy across the platform.

Connection quality

What’s interesting is how they’re ranking results. It’s not just about who’s most relevant to your search—it’s also about the connections you might have with someone. So if you’re looking for someone who understands US work visas, LinkedIn might prioritize people who went to your college or work at companies where you have connections. Basically, they’re trying to surface people you’re more likely to actually connect with, not just the most technically correct matches.

Broader trend

This is part of that bigger shift we’re seeing across all platforms—moving from keyword search to conversational search. Google’s been doing it, job sites are doing it, and now LinkedIn’s fully embracing it. The real test will be whether the AI actually understands what people are looking for. We’ve all had those experiences where AI tools sound smart but miss the point completely. If LinkedIn can get this right, it could seriously change how people use the platform for networking and career development.