What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “interview”? The Fourth Industrial Revolution brought forth a rise in companies’ investments in human resources (HR) technologies. This includes utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) in their talent acquisition and interviews to optimize business processes and reduce costs. Thanks to the amalgamation of HR and AI, job seekers can now participate in AI-powered interviews from anywhere, at any time. All they need to do is turn on their web camera, listen to the questions asked by the AI system, and speak clearly into the microphone while maintaining eye contact. Although taking the “human” out of HR entirely may be detrimental in the long run, making use of AI in recruiting will help to automate the hiring process, making it more efficient.

AI programs are not perfect; there exist loopholes which allow for some people to use it to their advantage. While it all depends on the AI program, it is rather straightforward to learn how to meet the criteria, especially since it has a fixed set of questions and the required answers in its database. For instance, in a research project conducted by Bayerischer Rundfunk, a German Public Broadcaster, the AI software uses a ready-made “OCEAN model” to access five personality traits, namely openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. The results showed how the software had some technical limitations and inaccuracies which can be fully utilized in ways such as having bright lighting, speaking loudly, and maintaining eye contact. Perhaps unsurprisingly, there are even paid lectures that share various strategies to “ace” an interview with AI.

Some may also claim that AI might disrupt the HR industry through AI-induced risks, as well as machine-led issues and discrepancies. Since AI has a tendency to ignore non-search engine optimized (SEO) resumes, this flaw may lead to companies missing out on talented individuals if they do not have a resume containing the keywords that AI is on the lookout for. However, the problems listed above can be resolved if HR professionals utilize AI efficiently; therefore, the integration between humans and AI is especially important. For example, there is a need for companies to train their AI systems with diverse datasets that go beyond a mere representation of a certain race or demographic, as it may result in bias.

Free from physical constraints like time and place, which in effect will reduce the cost of recruitment, AI interviews can be conducted with more job candidates, allowing for companies to consider a larger pool of potential employees. According to The Korea Herald, SaraminHR, an online recruiting company based in Korea, conducted a survey in 2022, in which nearly two thirds of local companies said that having AI in HR has helped them to save time and labor costs. This is because AI can conduct background and reference checks, as well as automatically scan for plagiarism. AI can also educate new employees, evaluate their progress, and even predict their retirements. Accordingly, utilizing AI to their fullest extent will free up time for trained HR professionals, and they can focus more on building teams that are not only productive but will also remain committed to their organizations. More time can be spent on the efficient resolution of workplace conflicts, as well as the enhancement of workers’ motivation.

As technology advances, HR’s pursuit of a more labor-saving system continues. The question of whether conducting interviews using specifically trained AI robots is equal to having a human HR recruiter remains unanswered as some continue to doubt the credibility of AI’s assessments. All in all, AI should be used as a supplementary source to evaluate candidates’ potentials, not as a total replacement for human HR professionals, as the human touch is still very much essential.