How AI is changing who gets hired – and who doesn’t w/ Hilke Schellmann
Oct 22, 2024
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Hilke Schellmann, a journalist and author of "The Algorithm," dives into the evolving role of AI in hiring practices. She highlights how AI can reduce biases but also introduces new challenges, like algorithmic discrimination in resume screenings and interviews. Hilke advocates for heightened transparency and regulation to ensure fairness in recruitment. The discussion also navigates the implications of workplace surveillance and underscores the urgent need for oversight to protect employee rights in an increasingly automated landscape.
AI tools can improve the hiring process by providing uniformity and reducing human biases, but they often perpetuate discrimination due to flawed assessments.
The increasing use of AI for management decisions like layoffs raises ethical concerns about its accuracy and fairness in evaluating employee performance.
Deep dives
AI Interviewing Technology
An AI interviewer known as GPT vetting has been presented, featuring an animated avatar conducting job interviews. Users can customize the avatar's appearance, creating a lighthearted element to the interview process. This technology provides a uniform and seemingly unbiased experience since it neither exhibits human emotions nor personal biases, potentially eliminating the inconsistencies present in human interviews. According to the company's founder, onboarding this technology could allow companies to interview significantly more candidates while offering applicants a more enjoyable and judgement-free interview experience.
Flaws in AI Screening Tools
AI-based resume screening tools are being widely adopted, yet they often exhibit significant flaws in their assessments. Employment lawyers report various troubling examples where algorithms have erroneously identified names or geographical keywords as indicators of success, leading to discriminatory patterns. Such issues indicate a potential bias inherent in the selection process, where decisions could unfairly disadvantage candidates based on irrelevant criteria. The reliance on AI for initial screening raises concerns due to the absence of human oversight, which historically helps mitigate biases.
Misuse of AI in Employee Management
AI technologies are increasingly being utilized not just for hiring, but also for management decisions like promotions and layoffs. Companies have leveraged video interviews and emotion-detection technologies that have resulted in flawed judgments about employee performance. For instance, one employee faced termination based solely on an AI assessment from a video interview, which she believed did not accurately reflect her contributions. This highlights the unsettling trend where AI is not only influencing hiring but also serving as a tool for dismissal, often without sufficient accuracy or fairness.
Challenges of Workplace Monitoring
The rise of workplace surveillance has led to 'productivity theater,' where employees engage in superficial activities to appear productive under constant monitoring. Many companies now track keystrokes and analyze communication patterns to determine employee performance, yet studies show such invasive scrutiny often diminishes actual productivity. Legal frameworks tend to favor companies in the U.S., allowing them to monitor all employee actions on work devices without accountability. This lacks consent from employees, further complicating the ethical landscape as the technology evolves without adequate guidelines or protections.
From vetting resumes to screening candidates, many employers are using AI tools to identify top talent. But what happens when companies start relying on AI to help them decide who to hire or promote…and who to fire? Bilawal speaks with journalist Hilke Schellmann, whose research on the rapidly growing use of AI in the workplace highlights where algorithms are helping – and hurting – business. Hilke shares the surprising (and not surprising) ways AI works in the hiring process, and argues that transparency, regulation, and oversight are essential if AI is going to actually benefit employees and employers. For transcripts for The TED AI Show, visit go.ted.com/TTAIS-transcripts