LinkedIn rolls out verified AI skill certifications based on real-world tool usage

LinkedIn has introduced a new feature that allows users to display verified AI skill certifications on their profiles, marking a shift away from self-declared skills and short-form tests toward proof based on real-world usage.

The Microsoft-owned professional networking platform said the certifications will be issued through partnerships with a growing set of AI-first tools, including Descript, Lovable, Replit and Relay.app. These platforms will evaluate users continuously as they work within the products, analysing how tools are used, the quality of outcomes produced and overall proficiency over time.

Unlike traditional certifications that rely on exams or one-time assessments, LinkedIn’s model is built around demonstrated capability. As users code, edit, build or deploy projects within partner applications, those platforms will determine whether an individual meets their internal threshold for proficiency. Once that standard is met, the verified AI skill badge will automatically appear on the user’s LinkedIn profile alongside other listed skills.

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LinkedIn has not disclosed the exact benchmarks required to qualify as “proficient”, nor the minimum duration of tool usage needed before certification becomes available. This suggests that criteria may differ across partner platforms, at least in the early stages. Even so, the company is positioning the feature as a more reliable signal of capability than endorsements or manually added skills.

The company plans to expand the initiative in the coming months. Additional partners confirmed for the programme include Gamma, GitHub and Zapier, with LinkedIn actively inviting more companies to participate. The broader goal, according to the company, is to transform LinkedIn profiles into dynamic records of applied skills rather than static CV-style summaries.

Hari Srinivasan, vice president of product at LinkedIn, said the update reflects changing hiring expectations, with employers increasingly prioritising the ability to use modern tools to deliver tangible results. He linked the new certifications to LinkedIn’s identity verification system, which has been adopted by more than 100 million users, describing verified skills as the next layer of trust on the platform.

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The rollout comes amid rising demand for AI capabilities across industries. An edX report published last year found that job postings requiring AI skills doubled over a 12-month period. Data from Indeed’s Hiring Lab also showed that by the end of 2025, more than four percent of US job listings referenced AI-related skills, with growing demand beyond core technology roles in sectors such as finance, marketing and operations.

By anchoring certifications to hands-on tools like Replit and GitHub, LinkedIn is promoting a more practical definition of AI literacy. While the approach may help employers cut through inflated skill claims and give candidates a clearer way to demonstrate competence, it also raises questions around transparency, consistency and how disagreements over automated assessments will be handled.

For now, LinkedIn appears to be betting that verified proof of work will carry more weight than buzzwords in an increasingly AI-driven job market.