LinkedIn is moving beyond traditional peer endorsements with a new verification system that validates your AI tool proficiency through actual usage data. Unlike test-based certifications where you can cram and pass, these validations are assessed by the AI tools themselves based on how you actually use them.
How It Actually Works
LinkedIn partnered with AI tool companies including Replit, Lovable, Descript, and Relay.app (with GitHub, Gamma, and Zapier coming soon). These companies assess your proficiency using their own AI systems based on your real usage patterns, product outcomes, and demonstrated capability within the tool.
Once assessed, the partner company creates a certificate that appears automatically on your LinkedIn profile. The proficiency level updates dynamically as you gain more experience with the tool, reflecting your current capabilities rather than a static achievement from months ago.
Step 1: Use a Supported AI Tool
You must actively use one of the partner tools for work, side projects, or personal learning. The system tracks:
- Usage patterns: How frequently and deeply you use the tool
- Product outcomes: What you actually build or accomplish
- Demonstrated proficiency: Your skill level relative to other users
According to Pat Whelan, LinkedIn’s head of career products: The partner determines the level of capability in using that tool, and we ingest that signal. That way, the person who knows the tool well can determine exactly how to measure that and how to rank it.
Step 2: Wait for the Assessment
There’s no manual application process. The partner companies evaluate users automatically based on their usage data. When you reach a proficiency threshold, the company generates a certificate that LinkedIn displays on your profile.
Different partners use different rating systems:
- Lovable: Bronze, Silver, Gold levels for “vibe coding”
- Replit: Numerical proficiency levels
- Relay.app: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced for “AI Agent Builder”
Step 3: Share the Validation
Once you receive a validation certificate, you can choose to display it on your LinkedIn profile. The badge appears in your Skills section with the verified proficiency level. You control whether to share it publicly or remove it.
Navigate to your profile’s Skills section to see available validations and manage which ones appear publicly.
What This Replaces
Traditional LinkedIn skill endorsements relied on one-click approvals from connections, often becoming popularity contests rather than meaningful skill validation. The AI verification system provides:
- Objective assessment: Based on actual tool usage, not peer opinions
- Dynamic updates: Proficiency levels adjust as your skills improve
- Third-party validation: The tool creator verifies your competency
Why Employers Care
According to Deepak Seth, a director analyst at Gartner, the feature’s value lies in demonstrating practical achievements: If they have built an app or a repository where they can showcase all their apps, and a tool like LinkedIn is able to demonstrate that, that should be valuable.
However, Seth cautioned that as AI tools simplify development, employers want business impact, not just technical ability: Customer churn is a big problem for us, and this guy built an app which helps minimize customer churn. That would be a bigger thing than, ‘This guy built an app.’
Current Limitations
The system is rolling out globally in English with a limited set of partner tools. If you use AI tools outside the partner list, you won’t receive automatic validations yet. Traditional LinkedIn Learning skill assessments remain available for broader skill categories.
The feature does not replace demonstrating business outcomes or strategic thinking. The validation proves you can use a tool competently, but employers still need to see how you applied that tool to solve real problems.
LinkedIn’s AI skill validations provide verifiable proof of technical proficiency through actual usage, not self-reported claims. The system is most valuable for professionals who actively use partner tools and want recruiters to see validated proof of their capabilities. However, the validation is a credential, not a substitute for showcasing the business impact of your work.
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