LinkedIn has become the go-to platform for millions of professionals worldwide who are seeking new career opportunities or looking to expand their professional network. With an eye on the future, LinkedIn is exploring the potential of AI technology to augment and amplify its users’ voices rather than replace them.
As such, LinkedIn recently launched its collaborative articles feature, an AI-driven tool that allows users to share their professional perspectives on various work-related topics. This new feature is part of LinkedIn’s efforts to transform itself from a digital repository of user CVs to a comprehensive platform for creators.
The Power of Collective Knowledge
LinkedIn’s collaborative articles feature leverages the collective knowledge of its global community of users, which the company estimates to be around “10 billion years of work experience.” This experience means that every work problem a user might encounter has likely already been solved by someone else on the platform.
The collaborative articles feature fosters forums of LinkedIn users who are experts on specific topics, inviting them to share their insights on a range of queries. For instance, users can contribute their perspectives on queries such as how to get a promotion, ways to boost inclusivity in workplace culture, and best practices for handling risk and uncertainty in innovation. You can have a look here at how users are actually contributing.
AI-Powered Conversation Starters
The collaborative articles feature is an AI-powered conversation starter developed in collaboration with LinkedIn’s editorial team. It generates threads of text regarding specific work-related topics or skills. Then LinkedIn’s Skills Graph, a machine learning-based tool, scans users’ profiles to determine who has the authority or interest to weigh in with their own point of view.
Those users are then invited to contribute, and their responses are made available for the benefit of others on the platform. The tool is currently accessible to a select but growing group of users, including members named to LinkedIn’s “Top Voices” program.
Real-Life Anecdotes and Insights
One of the most significant benefits of the collaborative articles feature is that it allows users to share real-life anecdotes and insights that might not have been shared otherwise. In one recent collaborative article, over 50 teachers weighed in on how to help students develop a “growth mindset.”
While the LinkedIn thread that inspired the article offered some advice, it was missing the human touch of educators’ real-life anecdotes about cultivating this mentality in their classrooms. Collaborative articles invited the teachers to share their ideas, and they responded with suggestions like exhibiting “vulnerability” in the classroom.
A Veritable Content-Creation Platform
LinkedIn’s push into AI is part of its broader investment in positioning itself as a content-creation platform. In recent years, the company has recruited journalists from organizations like Bloomberg and Insider to comprise its LinkedIn News division.
Since 2016, it has named around 1,500 users to its high-profile “Top Voices” lists, designating them thought leaders in fields ranging from fashion to entrepreneurship to media. The platform has also launched 100 free educational modules to teach users about AI and machine learning and equip them for “the future of work.”
Creating Economic Opportunity for the Global Workforce
The goal of LinkedIn’s AI-driven features is to create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce. Collaborative articles allow users to learn from a wider community, share their expertise, and connect with like-minded professionals.
While there are concerns about the impact of AI on jobs, LinkedIn executives believe that AI can open doors to new opportunities for the workforce. Collaborative articles have received positive responses from users, leaving executives optimistic about the tool’s potential to enable users to share their expertise in ways they never thought possible.
Wrapping Up
LinkedIn’s AI-driven collaborative articles feature is a new and exciting way for professionals to connect and learn from one another. By leveraging the collective knowledge
of its users, LinkedIn is building a platform that serves as a comprehensive resource for creators and professionals alike.
The feature is not only beneficial for individual users, but it also provides companies with a new avenue to tap into the collective knowledge of the LinkedIn community. As firms strive to create more diverse and inclusive workplaces, collaborative articles provide a unique opportunity to gather insights and perspectives from a range of experts.
Furthermore, LinkedIn’s investment in AI and machine learning is helping to create economic opportunities for members of the global workforce. By providing free educational modules and making it easier for members to share their insights and expertise, LinkedIn is empowering its users to stay ahead of the curve and adapt to the changing demands of the job market.
Of course, there are legitimate concerns about the impact of AI on employment and the workforce. However, LinkedIn’s approach to AI, which focuses on augmenting and amplifying users’ voices rather than replacing them, is a promising example of how technology can be used to create new opportunities for collaboration and learning.
As LinkedIn continues to roll out its collaborative articles feature to more users, it will be interesting to see how it evolves and how it impacts the professional landscape. However, one thing is clear: with its commitment to AI, education, and community-building, LinkedIn is positioning itself as a vital resource for professionals in the digital age.
Meanwhile
Microsoft, the parent company of LinkedIn, is heavily investing in generative AI, as evidenced by the significant improvements made to its Bing search engine, generating significant interest. Additionally, the integration of ChatGPT is creating new possibilities for using AI across its suite of tools.
Given these developments, it is only natural that LinkedIn would follow suit and introduce new AI integrations to its platform. Therefore, the recent release of the AI-driven collaborative articles feature may be just the beginning of a series of forthcoming AI integrations on the app.
