LinkedIn is making it easier to search for people with AI (www.techradar.com)

LinkedIn announced an AI-powered people search that lets users type natural-language descriptions of the person they want—e.g., “investors in the healthcare sector with FDA experience” or “who in my network can help me understand wireless networks”—instead of relying on exact job titles or complex filters. The feature parses conversational queries, ranks matches by connection strength and relevance, and surfaces people with the right expertise at the right time. Early tests show users leveraging it to find job leads, business partners and career mentors. LinkedIn frames the tool as a way to turn static lists into actionable opportunities by prioritizing the most valuable contacts for a given query. This rollout begins with Premium users in the U.S., with global expansion “in the coming months.” For AI/ML practitioners and recruiters it promises more efficient talent discovery and better internal networking signals, reducing missed matches caused by title variance. Technical implications include greater reliance on natural language understanding and ranking models that combine profile content with network topology. Caveats: initial Premium-only access, potential biases from profile data and ranking heuristics, and privacy considerations around people discovery. Overall, the move aligns LinkedIn with broader search trends that use AI to improve relevance and matchmaking across platforms.