LinkedIn 'time travel': Nearly 1 in 5 US users retroactively add AI skills to old jobs, study finds

The paper, titled "Time Travel on Professional Profiles," analyzed monthly captures of LinkedIn data with help from workforce data company Revelio Labs. Nicholas Bloom, one of the authors and a Stanford University economics professor, said the practice shows what people think employers want. Interest in AI terms such as LLM, GPT and artificial intelligence surged after OpenAI released ChatGPT in late 2022, according to the study.

Nearly three-quarters of employers now say AI skills are a strong advantage or even a requirement, based on a ZipRecruiter survey published in July. The number of U.S. occupational categories with "AI" in job titles has more than tripled since 2022, according to an Indeed report also published that month.

Job seekers may be adding AI terms to past roles to match what they believe recruiters are looking for, Bloom said, even if those terms are not strictly accurate. The researchers noted that not all edits are dishonest; anyone who was not active on LinkedIn during an earlier job might make legitimate updates later. The data counted any change of at least one word in a job title or description, including removing a duplicate word or adding an article.

Still, some changes appear suspect. Researchers found people adding AI skills to roles dating back to 2012, which Bloom said is hard to believe, suggesting possible exaggeration or fabrication. The most common offenders were self-described AI product managers, with roughly 70% making changes after leaving positions. The median time between leaving a job and making a retroactive edit was 4.5 years.

Bloom said the trend follows a fashion cycle in job titles. Machine learning and cloud were popular in earlier periods, and now AI dominates. The rate of time traveling doubles shortly before people change jobs, the researchers found.

The practice comes amid a tough U.S. labor market. The country lost 23,000 jobs in July, and May and June figures were revised downward by a combined 103,000, according to U.S. government data. AI tools have made it easier for applicants to generate materials, increasing competition, Bloom said, calling it "an arms race on both sides."

Experts advise updating professional profiles every three months and after performance reviews, adding achievements, recognition and new responsibilities with specific metrics. A detailed profile with specific skills can help surface in recruiters' searches. As Bloom put it, "more is almost always better than less, as long as it's truthful."