LinkedIn among top sources for AI chatbots, study finds

The way information flows on the internet is changing, and LinkedIn is quickly becoming a major source for AI chatbot answers. Two recent studies which examined how platforms such as ChatGPT and Google AI Mode and Perplexity produce their output discovered that professional networking sites now serve as a common reference point for AI systems which generate automated responses.

The research, conducted between late 2025 and early 2026, reveals how AI search engines and LinkedIn content and generative AI systems create new patterns of online information distribution. A report by analytics platform SEMRush examined around 325,000 prompts used on major AI chatbots between January and February 2026.

The study found that LinkedIn ranked as the second most cited source in AI-generated answers, just behind Reddit.

Another analysis by data tracking platform Profound reviewed top sources used by AI chatbots between November 2025 and February 2026. The research results identify LinkedIn as the fifth most frequently cited website across all categories.

The platform had yet to enter the top 20 ranking just three months before this moment. The data indicates that LinkedIn posts and professional insights and long-form articles are becoming more common sources that AI tools use to produce answers about business and career and industry developments.

The researchers observe that people today use different methods to search online compared to previous times. Web users now initiate their online searches through AI tools rather than using traditional search engines, according to a study conducted by Eight Oh Two SEO Agency.

As a result, platforms that publish credible discussions and professional commentary are becoming more important in AI search results, generative engine optimisation, and chatbot knowledge sources.