According to Fast Company, LinkedIn is expanding its AI-powered job search tool to all members using the site in English, with plans to add Spanish, French, German, and Portuguese. The feature, which helps find jobs without exact keyword matching, is already used by 1.3 million people daily for more than 25 million weekly searches. Rohan Rajiv, LinkedIn’s senior director of product management for job search, says the vision is about “economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce.” The company claims initial data shows job seekers without a four-year college degree who use the tool are 10% more likely to get hired. The AI can parse nuanced language in listings and even respond to broad queries like a user saying they want to “protect the world’s oceans.”
The Good And The Obvious
Look, on paper, this is a solid upgrade. Anyone who’s spent hours tweaking resumes and cover letters to match robotic Applicant Tracking System (ATS) keywords knows the pain. The promise of an AI that understands “partnerships” and “business development” are basically the same thing is genuinely useful. And that 10% bump for non-degree holders? If that’s real and holds up, that’s meaningful. It directly tackles LinkedIn‘s long-standing rep as a white-collar, degree-required clubhouse. Helping a line cook find work on the platform is a good goal. So far, so good.
Here’s The Catch
But here’s the thing. An AI search tool is only as good as the data it’s searching. LinkedIn’s core issue has never really been the search bar. It’s the quality and authenticity of the listings themselves. We’ve all seen them. The “entry-level” job requiring 5 years of experience. The vague startup role that’s actually a commission-only sales gig. The postings that are just there for HR to say they “looked externally” before promoting internally. A smarter search engine just finds the bad listings faster. It doesn’t magically create better jobs or fix broken hiring processes. And let’s be a little skeptical of that 10% stat. Who conducted that study? Over what timeframe? “More likely than before” is a classic piece of fuzzy, feel-good metrics.
The Bigger Picture
This feels like LinkedIn doing what it does best: optimizing the platform experience to keep you engaged. More relevant searches mean more time scrolling, more profile views, more “Easy Apply” clicks. That’s great for their engagement metrics and their recruitment product revenue. But does it translate to a better outcome for the actual job seeker? Maybe. Probably not as much as the press release wants you to think. I think the real test will be if this tool can actually surface hidden opportunities you’d never have found with a keyword search. That’s the dream. The reality will likely be a more polished version of the same old job hunt, just with a chatty AI interface. It’s a step forward, sure. But let’s not confuse a better map with an easier journey.
