Building for the Future of Work in the AI Era: 3 Takeaways from LinkedIn’s First Innovation Week

We just wrapped up our first-ever Innovation Week at LinkedIn – an event designed to inspire our engineers around the world to dream big about the future of work.?

The rapid advancement of AI presents a unique opportunity to influence this future, especially since our research indicates that 47% of US executives see generative AI boosting productivity, and 44% plan to expand their AI use within the next year. Adapting quickly to these changes will have a big influence on our ability to help members. Our engineers are tasked with balancing these exciting opportunities with the great responsibility of developing the world's largest professional platform.

A key focus of Innovation Week was exploring how technology, particularly AI, can further LinkedIn’s mission of connecting professionals and creating global economic opportunities. As I reflect on the hackathon, panels, fireside chats with industry leaders and conversations with our engineers over the last week, there are three takeaways that stood out:

Takeaway 1: Be ambitious, yet focused

It's evident that generative AI will significantly alter the workplace. Over half of LinkedIn members are in roles likely to be impacted by AI according to our research. We’re encouraging our engineers to think boldly about how our products and platform can improve the future of work for everyone. Mohak Shroff, our SVP of Engineering, led a fireside chat with Kevin Scott, Microsoft’s CTO. Instead of focusing on incremental changes, Kevin suggested tackling the things that seem impossible. What may seem impossible today will soon be possible tomorrow given the exponential innovation curve we are on. While ambition is paramount to doing big things, it’s equally important to be focused. One of the key points from my fireside chat with Kevin a year ago was the importance of building products that focus on creating value – it’s critical to connect the dots on how you can make a real difference.?????

Takeaway 2: Foster curiosity and embrace diverse perspectives

The potential applications of AI in professional settings are extensive. So thinking about where AI should be integrated, we need to keep the human factor at the center of our decisions and stay curious about what different professionals need and want to get their jobs done.

As a panelist in our “Future of Work” session – which included several of my colleagues Erran Berger, Aneesh Raman and Sue Duke – one of the key points we discussed was how engineers can think about applying AI in ways that will be meaningful and impactful. To figure that out, it’s important to get outside of your own world. Interviewing colleagues in other functional areas and other industries can give engineers better context about how the technology could be used and help them in their day-to-day. Having a diversity of voices and thoughts reflected in the development process for new products and solutions makes what you’re delivering more valuable.?

Takeaway 3: We all need an AI-first mindset

AI is going to be as much a part of people’s lives someday as mobile devices are now, and working with AI will likely come naturally to the next generation entering the workforce. Now more than ever, it is a strategic time to be adopting an AI-first mindset.??

Thinking in an AI-first way doesn’t mean injecting AI into everything. Going back to the fireside chat between Mohak and Kevin, there was a great acknowledgement of the importance to stay aware and thoughtful of different ways AI could help, including its pitfalls. Giving people new ways to access and adapt to this game-changing technology helps us all learn more about what’s possible, and continuously improve the guardrails of building with AI as it becomes more prevalent in our professional life.

Setting the stage for a transformative 2024

Innovation week was a great way to start the year, and the possibilities and energy don’t stop there. We’re eager to partner with many of you to harness AI for good in shaping the future of work!