Could your next job interview be with an AI bot?

Category: Technology/Innovations

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. dystopian / dɪsˈtoʊ pi ən / (adj.) – relating to an imaginary society, future, or world that is very unpleasant, unfair, dangerous, or controlled by powerful authorities
    Example:

    The novel tells the story of a dystopian nation where citizens are constantly watched.


  2. surge / sɜrdʒ / (v.) – to increase, rise, or move forward suddenly and strongly
    Example:

    Demand for electric vehicles surged over the past few years.


  3. a flood of (something) / ə flʌd ʌv / (idiom) – referring to a very large amount of something that arrives or happens in a short time
    Example:

    The company received a flood of customer complaints after the product launch.


  4. incorporate / ɪnˈkɔr pəˌreɪt / (v.) – to include something as part of a larger whole or to combine one thing with another
    Example:

    Many restaurants are incorporating plant-based options into their menus.


  5. recruiter / rɪˈkru tər / (n.) – a person whose job is to find, interview, and hire people for jobs, schools, organizations, or the military
    Example:

    A recruiter contacted me about a software engineering position.


Article

Read the text below.

Imagine taking part in a job interview not conducted by a human, but by an AI avatar. What might seem dystopian in concept is an increasing reality for some applicants.


As employers face surging application numbers and a flood of AI-written CVs, companies are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to screen candidates. And as workers flood into offices across the capital, the process of getting a job is increasingly being handed over to artificial intelligence.


Bracing for the changes AI is driving in the job market, schools are incorporating it into their teaching. At London Enterprise Academy in East London, students are being taught about the opportunities and risks linked to AI tools as they prepare applications for sixth form (the two final years of secondary school in Britain) places and work experience opportunities.


Teacher Mohammed Islam asks students whether they would trust a robot interviewer. Some students say AI can help candidates improve applications but still believe human interaction remains essential.


“It does help people to get jobs, and it does help companies to hire people, but we also need humans to interview other people as well because robots don’t have actual feelings, and sometimes, they might not understand what they have to do, and it’s not as reliable as humans,” student Zara says.


For growing numbers of applicants for jobs, the first interview may no longer be with a person. Instead, candidates are increasingly facing artificial intelligence-powered hiring systems designed to screen applications, verify identities, and assess answers before any human recruiter becomes involved.


In a demonstration showing technology developed by Amsterdam-based hiring platform TestGorilla, an AI-generated avatar interviews an Associated Press reporter through a laptop screen.


The system asks spoken questions, records verbal responses, and combines them with timed assessments, behavioral prompts, and identity verification checks. Candidates are asked to complete multiple-choice questions, answer spoken interview prompts, and verify their identity through facial biometric checks comparing their face against identification documents.


TestGorilla says its AI interview systems are designed to replace some traditional screening calls, which recruiters say can consume large amounts of time when employers receive hundreds or thousands of applications for a single role.


This article was provided by The Associated Press.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • Some job applicants now have their first interview with an AI avatar instead of a person. Would you behave differently in an interview if you knew no human was watching you live? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • A teacher asks the students whether they would trust a robot interviewer. Would you personally trust a robot or AI-system interviewer? Why or why not? What would make you trust an AI interviewer, and what would make you doubt it? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • Some schools are teaching students about both the opportunities and risks of AI tools. What do you think is one thing every student should learn about AI before entering the workforce? Do you think schools have a responsibility to prepare students for technologies that may change rapidly? Why do you say so? Discuss.
  • Some AI hiring systems compare a candidate’s face with identification documents. In your opinion, how much personal information should employers be allowed to collect during hiring? Would you feel comfortable with AI tools screening your application before speaking with a real recruiter? Why or why not? Discuss.