LinkedIn chief executive Ryan Roslansky has shared a glimpse into how he personally uses artificial intelligence in his daily work.
Speaking during a fireside chat at LinkedIn’s San Francisco office on Tuesday, Roslansky described Microsoft’s AI assistant Copilot as “a second brain” that he now depends on for his most important communications.
“A lot of the time when I’m sending a super high-stakes email to Satya Nadella or other CEOs or world leaders, you’ve got to make sure you sound super smart when you do that,” Roslansky said. “So I would say that without a doubt, almost every email that I send these days is being sent with the help of Copilot.”
Roslansky explained that he does not use AI to draft full messages on his behalf. Instead, he treats Copilot as a guide that asks him questions and helps him structure replies. “Historically, there’d be a button that said, ‘Draft the reply for me,’” he said.
“The problem is that you’re actually asking AI to make tons of decisions for you when you ask it to blindly reply to an email.”
The LinkedIn chief said the step-by-step method has proven more valuable than automatic drafting, as it allows him to refine ideas and control the tone of messages. “I think I use it for every important email, without a doubt, on a daily basis,” he added. “It’s awesome.”
Speaking to a TNC Correspondent on AI use as an executive, Myrtle Pen Publishing founder Esther Orah had a slightly contrasting opinion to that of the LinkedIn executive, she said:
“As much as Copilot or ChatGPT, are very good and helpful tools when it comes to the work you have to do as an executive, like sending emails and handling meetings; the constant use of it is like finding a shortcut. It is good to use it but not frequently because it makes the brain dormant. If you can write prompts for AI chatbots, you can also write the actual email or document, so why ask the chatbot in the first place?”
“AI tools are okay to use but this shouldn’t be regular. I use it too but only to get a template. I believe too much use of it will make your brain lazy and dormant. It’s like assigning your brain function to an AI tool. So technically, you’re not the executive, AI is.”
Interestingly, Roslansky’s comments are similar among business leaders. A Gallup poll in June found that managers of managers are using AI at twice the rate of individual contributors. Executives across industries, from technology to retail, have said they now rely on AI to review documents, prepare meeting notes and handle sensitive correspondence.
Other senior figures have also spoken about their daily use of AI. In August, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said Copilot, integrated with GPT-5, had become central to his workflow, helping him prepare meeting briefings, review projects and anticipate risks.
Last month, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman revealed that he spends around $650 each month on premium subscriptions across multiple AI platforms, combining their outputs into a “multi-AI system.”
For Roslansky, the key advantage is having AI as a thinking partner rather than a replacement. “Using AI is like having a second brain that knows me extremely well,” he said.
