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Should I Stop LinkedIn from Using My Data for AI Training?
LinkedIn will automatically use your data to train its artificial intelligence models, but you have the power to stop it. The professional networking platform, owned by Microsoft, has started informing members about this change, which is set to take effect soon.
This guide will explain what data LinkedIn plans to use, why it is doing this, and the exact steps you can take to opt out and protect your information. Understanding these changes helps you make an informed decision about your digital privacy on the platform.
LinkedIn’s New AI Data Policy
LinkedIn is updating its policy to use your public information to improve its generative AI features. The company sent an email to its members explaining the change. According to this notification, the new policy will begin on November 3, 2025. This update affects all members globally, including those in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and countries within the European Economic Area (EEA).
The core of the change is that data from your public profile and your posts will be fed into LinkedIn’s AI systems. The goal is to make its AI tools, like content-generation features, more effective. LinkedIn suggests this will ultimately benefit you. For instance, the company claims that better AI will help “hirers find and reach you more easily.” This wording is chosen carefully. It presents the data usage as a benefit, which might persuade some people to leave the setting active without a second thought.
Essentially, by contributing your data, you are helping to train the AI that powers various platform functions. One of these is the “Rewrite using AI” feature, which helps users compose posts. A possible side effect is that AI-generated content on the platform may start to sound very similar over time, echoing the styles and phrases it learned from human-written posts.
What Data Is and Is Not Used
It is critical to understand precisely what information LinkedIn will use for its AI training. The policy is not a free pass to all your data.
Public Data
The AI models will be trained on information that is publicly visible. This includes the content on your profile, such as your job titles, skills, and summary. It also covers any posts, articles, or comments you share publicly on the platform.
Private Data
Your private information is excluded. LinkedIn has confirmed that its AI models will not be trained on your private messages. The content of your direct conversations will remain confidential and will not be used for this purpose.
The setting that allows this data usage, named “Data for Generative AI Improvement,” is turned on by default for all users. This means that unless you actively go into your settings and turn it off, LinkedIn has permission to use your public data for AI development. This applies to users everywhere, including regions with stricter data privacy laws like the EU and the UK.
There is, however, a small distinction for users in these protected regions. If you are in the EEA or the UK, LinkedIn states that your personal information will not be shared with its affiliates, such as its parent company Microsoft, for generative AI training without additional notice. For users in other parts of the world, the data can be used by both LinkedIn and its affiliates.
How to Opt Out of LinkedIn’s AI Training
You can prevent LinkedIn from using your data for future AI model training. The process is straightforward, but you must do it manually. Follow these steps to change your privacy settings.
- Access Your Settings: Log in to your LinkedIn account. Click on your profile picture (labeled “Me”) in the top right corner and select Settings & Privacy from the dropdown menu.
- Navigate to Data Privacy: On the left-hand side of the settings page, click on the Data Privacy tab.
- Find the AI Setting: Scroll down to the section titled Data for Generative AI Improvement. Here, you will find a toggle switch.
- Turn Off the Feature: The toggle is labeled “Use my data for training content creation AI models.” Click this toggle to turn it off. The setting will be saved automatically.
For easier access, you can also use a direct link to the specific settings page provided by LinkedIn in their communications. Once you turn this setting off, LinkedIn and its affiliates will no longer use your content to train their content-generating AI models going forward.
A very important point to remember is that this action is not retroactive. Opting out will not erase any training that has already been completed using your data. In a support document, LinkedIn clarified this by stating, “Opting out does not affect training that has already taken place.” Since the feature was enabled by default, it is possible that some of your data has already been used if you created your account before becoming aware of this setting.
The Role of AI on LinkedIn
While LinkedIn is a subsidiary of Microsoft, it operates with a degree of independence. However, it has not been slow to adopt the AI trend that is sweeping the tech industry. The platform has already integrated several AI-powered features designed to enhance the user experience.
You may have noticed the “Rewrite with AI” suggestion when you compose a post. This tool, powered by models from OpenAI hosted by Microsoft, helps you refine your writing. LinkedIn likely also develops its own specialized AI models. These would be tailored specifically for the unique needs of a professional network, such as improving job search algorithms, personalizing your news feed, and suggesting new connections.
The use of your data is intended to make these custom models more intelligent and context-aware. By learning from millions of successful profiles and engaging posts, the AI can get better at recognizing what kind of content resonates with professionals in different industries. This drive for improvement is what underlies the new data usage policy. Your professional identity, as you present it to the world on LinkedIn, becomes a building block for the platform’s future. It is a significant contribution, and it is your right to decide whether or not you want to make it.