LinkedIn Users Retroactively Edit Job Titles to Signal AI Skills

A working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research reveals that nearly 20% of U.S. LinkedIn users engage in a practice called time travel, where they retroactively edit the titles or descriptions of previous jobs to better align with current market demands. Analysis of 29.4 million profiles between August 2020 and January 2026 shows a sixfold increase in the addition of AI-related terms such as GPT and LLM since the release of ChatGPT.

This trend is most prevalent among technology workers, with 31.6% editing old roles to signal expertise in artificial intelligence to potential employers. Researchers from Stanford University, including economist Nicholas Bloom, suggest these edits reflect a shift in personal branding, though they caution that current profiles may overstate the historical prevalence of AI skills.

Conversely, the study found a decline in remote-work language and a sharp drop in DEI terms starting in early 2025. This shift coincided with executive orders issued by President Donald Trump targeting DEI programs. The findings indicate that users are actively scrubbing or altering their professional histories to mirror the shifting political and technological priorities of the labor market.