LinkedIn now has 1 billion-plus members and hopes to grow that number using AI.
The professional networking/job search social media platform announced its membership milestone Wednesday (Nov. 1), and with it, the launch of an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbot and other generative AI tools for Premium members.
“Whether you’re navigating career changes, building a business, learning a new skill or crafting your voice, your new AI-powered LinkedIn experience — your trusted coach, advisor, co-pilot, assistant and colleague combined — is your partner in staying ahead,” wrote Tomer Cohen, the company’s chief product officer.
The company is debuting a new experience for job seekers, designed to streamline what can be a lengthy process that sees potential employees compete with a massive pool of applicants (more than 140 job applications are submitted to LinkedIn each second).
“From seamlessly assessing if a particular job is a good fit for you to identifying the best way to position yourself for it, we’ll help you find your dream role and build your confidence,” Cohen wrote. “With this experience, researching roles, companies, and even preparing for interviews become part of a seamless, delightful interaction on LinkedIn.”
Among the other benefits is the ability of the AI to analyze the posts in a user’s feeds to spit out “key salient opportunities” in one click and within seconds, Cohen wrote.
The new experience also uses Microsoft Bing — Microsoft is LinkedIn’s parent — to give users “timely and comprehensive information” about what’s happening in the world.
The news comes as executives from OpenAI — makers of the generative AI tool ChatGPT — are claiming that AI will be able to do any job a human can do inside of a decade.
Speaking at a recent conference, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati said AI will reach this stage — called “artificial general intelligence” or AGI — and transform the nature of work.
“We’re big believers that you give people better tools, and they do things that astonish you,” Altman said. “And I think AGI will be the best tool humanity has yet created.”
However, recent research by PYMNTS Intelligence shows there are some jobs people don’t want AI to perform.
For example, nearly half the consumers surveyed showed an interest in AI-enhanced entertainment, especially among Generation Z, 62% of whom reacted positively to this idea.
“However, concerns arise within the entertainment industry regarding generative AI potentially replacing human involvement in scriptwriting and editing,” PYMNTS wrote in September.
For all PYMNTS AI coverage, subscribe to the daily AI Newsletter.
