Microsoft's LinkedIn is currently testing a novel approach to incorporating generative AI within the app, a step towards enhancing the user experience. This experimentation involves an AI assistant for LinkedIn's InMail, designed to provide prompt answers to queries during your DM interactions.
The proposed LinkedIn InMail assistant, as showcased in a screenshot shared by app researcher Nima Owji, appears to be accessible through a dedicated icon in the app's UI. This feature could simplify tasks such as researching crucial points, spell-checking, and seeking advice on conversation tactics. This move is a part of Microsoft's broader initiative to integrate AI capabilities, akin to ChatGPT, into its platforms - a venture that has already witnessed the inclusion of AI-generated profile summaries, job descriptions, and post creation prompts in LinkedIn.
It's noteworthy that LinkedIn also introduced AI-generated messages for job candidates in its Recruiter platform last month. Interestingly, LinkedIn initially previewed this InMail assistant tool, known as 'InBot', back in 2016. The idea was for InBot to sync with your calendar and handle tasks like scheduling meetings, arranging phone calls, and follow-ups.
However, due to the fleeting trend of messaging bots, LinkedIn scrapped the project. But now, with the revival of the AI assistant idea, LinkedIn may incorporate originally planned features, along with more advanced generative AI responses and prompts.
While these AI tools could significantly enhance lead nurturing efforts on LinkedIn, there's a concern about the platform losing its human touch. Over time, an abundance of AI-generated content could make LinkedIn interactions feel like bot-to-bot conversations. This could potentially boost engagement within the app but may also alienate the human users behind each account. LinkedIn's experiments with these AI tools are certainly exciting, but only time will reveal how users respond to these updates.
