I used LinkedIn's new AI chat feature to message people about job opportunities. It saved time, but kept getting my experience wrong.

• LinkedIn is testing out an AI-generated chat feature that drafts messages about job opportunities.
• I tried out the new feature. The messages created a decent foundation but they were quite generic.
• But they repeatedly misstated how much journalism experience I'd had, too.

LinkedIn is testing out a new AI-generated chat feature to help users message people about job opportunities. I tried it out, and though it saved some time, the messages were quite generic and listed my experience incorrectly.

The beta function is available to LinkedIn Premium users when messaging someone new. If users click on a "magic wand" symbol, they get the option to use AI to "ask about job opportunities."

LinkedIn then spends a few seconds generating a message that lists the user's experience and some skills that may be relevant to jobs at their connection's company.

Here's the message that LinkedIn drafted for me to send to my editor:

Hi Will,

Hope you're doing well.

I noticed you currently work for Insider, Inc. and I'm excited to explore opportunities there relevant to my background. As a Senior Business Reporter at Insider with 8+ years of experience, I have a strong passion for sharing business news with readers across the globe.

Insider, Inc.'s digital media publications are impressive! With my writing and communication skills, I believe I could contribute significantly to your mission and values.

Thank you for your time. Would love to connect with you soon and discuss further!

Sincerely,

Grace

LinkedIn urged me to check the contents of the message before sending it. "If you haven't already, be sure to review the draft before sending," one pop-up read. Another message told me to edit the draft to ensure it was "accurate and appropriate."

And I'm glad LinkedIn gave me these prompts, as the AI feature consistently misstated how much journalism experience I'd had.

In some messages, like the one to my editor, it said I had "8+ years of experience." But even if you include my time volunteering for my student newspaper, I actually have less than seven years of experience.

Other messages claimed I had "over 8 years of experience as a Senior Business Reporter," when I've actually been in the role eight months, as my LinkedIn profile shows. Anyone I messaged could easily view my profile and see that the claims were incorrect.

In total, I used the AI feature to message 14 of my connections on LinkedIn, and all bar one claimed that I had more than eight years of experience.

The messages LinkedIn generated largely followed a similar structure, starting out with salutations and well-wishes, then saying I was interested in a role at the other person's company and describing my apparent eight years of experience.

The messages then highlighted some of the skills listed on my LinkedIn profile that it thought would be relevant, including writing, communication, leadership, and teamwork. 

LinkedIn then crafted a brief statement describing how I aligned with the company's mission or values, before adding that I would love to connect or have a chat.

Perhaps the most amusing was a message to a friend whose profile lists them as a self-employed writer.

"I noticed that you currently work for Self-employed and I am excited to explore opportunities there relevant to my background," the AI-generated message read. "I believe my profile could be relevant to Self-employed's needs or any other projects you might be working on."

Despite the errors, the messages were all written in appropriately formal English and ticked off some of the key things that recruiters often look for in messages from job applicants, such as relevant skills and experience. With sufficient editing, I think the drafts could provide a good starting point for people seeking out new job opportunities.

A LinkedIn representative told Insider: "It's intended to give you a solid first draft to review, edit and make your own, before you click send."

LinkedIn is owned by Microsoft, which recently rolled out an AI-powered version of Bing.

Another function LinkedIn is testing generates AI messages to recruiters asking for further information about job listings on the site. LinkedIn claimed that by letting AI draft my message, I could boost my chances of getting hired "by up to 3x." Fortunately these messages didn't allude to my supposed eight years of experience.

People have been using AI chatbots like OpenAI's ChatGPT to write cover letters and résumés. Though LinkedIn's features don't currently do this, they do craft introductory messages to start conversations about new roles.

LinkedIn says that both functions are only available on desktop in English and for select Premium subscribers in the US.

"Once a conversation has begun, our AI-powered writing assistant won't have access to your private conversations," LinkedIn says.