Q&A: LINKEDIN IS BULLISH ON AI. WILL THAT HELP JOB SEEKERS?

Like many other technology companies, LinkedIn is all in on generative AI, the artificial intelligence systems that can create text, images and other media in response to queries.

The professional networking platform last month rolled out new AI features to help users search for jobs, tailor their resumes and create personalized cover letters from scratch.

Consumer-facing brands have shown more interest in LinkedIn, according to a May report by Emarketer, The market research firm credited the increased attention to new advertising formats and changes in user behavior on the Microsoftowned platform.

LinkedIn Chief Product Officer Tomer Cohen recently spoke about generative AI, the job market, brand marketing and TikTok creators. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

THE JOB MARKET HAS BEEN STRONG EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE OTHER ECONOMIC CHALLENGES, SUCH AS HIGH INTEREST RATES. WHAT ARE YOU SEEING ON THE PLATFORM IN TERMS OF HIRING AND RECRUITMENT?

We’re seeing a very competitive job market and a lot more applications coming from people yearover-year. It differs slightly between industries. But you see the demand for talent right now with AI. We’re seeing an increase in people looking at AIspecific roles, and companies investing in it.

At the same time, we’re seeing about 50% of people wanting to change roles this year. So the inclination to look for new roles is still there and still strong.

IS IT MOSTLY TECH COMPANIES LOOKING FOR EMPLOYEES WITH AI SKILLS, OR IS IT OTHER SECTORS AS WELL?

We’re seeing it across multiple industries, everything from tech to finance and fashion. As a whole, AI presents a profound shift in how we work and bring things to market.

But we’re also seeing a gap right now in AI proficiency. When we talk to leaders, 80% of them – across industries – say they know it’s really important for them to adopt AI in their companies. But most of them don’t know how to do it. They lack the confidence, and the skill set, to actually bring it to the fold.