Unsupervised Learning Ep 68: CEO of Mercor Brendan Foody on Evals Replacing Knowledge Work, AI x Hiring Today & the Future of Data Labeling
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Jun 4, 2025 
Brendan Foody, the co-founder and CEO of Mercor, leads a pioneering company at the forefront of AI-native labor markets. He discusses the evolving landscape of AI in talent evaluation, emphasizing how AI can enhance hiring practices through improved candidate assessments. Brendan also shares insights on the future of data labeling and the skills needed to thrive in an AI-driven job market. Addressing the demand for software engineers and navigating the complexities of fundraising in tech, he provides a fascinating look at integrating AI into recruitment.
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AI Surpasses Humans in Text Evaluation
- AI models have become superhuman at evaluating text-based signals like interview transcripts and resumes.
- Despite this, this capability is still underutilized in the labor market, representing a huge opportunity.
Dynamic Assessments Reduce Gaming
- Keep talent assessments dynamic by frequently changing problems or diving deep into candidates' backgrounds.
- This approach reduces gaming and allows models to better analyze nuanced candidate signals.
Explainability Builds Trust in AI Hiring
- Explainability in AI hiring models builds trust and ensures selection based on relevant criteria.
- Ultimately, hiring may evolve into API-driven confidence scores reducing human intermediation.