Less Than A Third Of Americans Comfortable With AI Conducting Job Interviews

More artificial intelligence products are finding their way into the workplace, but less than a third of American workers would feel comfortable with AI conducting their job interview.

A recent survey conducted by Talker Research for Newsweek asked 1,000 Americans about their views on AI job interviews, and 43% of respondents said they would not be comfortable with AI conducting their job interview.

Just 32% said they’d feel comfortable with AI leading their job interview process, while 26% were undecided.

“The discomfort stems from a fundamental fear of dehumanization and loss of dignity; its akin to pitching your life story to a vending machine,” Lars Nyman, chief marketing officer of CUDO Compute, told Newsweek. “Certain AI applications, like scheduling or data analysis, are welcomed because they simplify life without stripping it of its human touch. In contrast, when AI steps into roles requiring empathy and judgment, like job interviews, the reception is chillier.”

Among survey respondents, older generations were more likely to be uncomfortable with AI job interviews, with 56% of Baby Boomers and 40% of Gen X saying they would be uncomfortable.

Nord Comms co-founder Philip Gjørup says AI is nevertheless likely to soon be used for hiring processes.

“I believe it is very likely that AI will be used for job interviews in the near future, as companies can train AI to identify precisely the attributes and qualifications they seek,” Gjørup told Newsweek.

Nyman said that AI could help recruiters and hiring managers speed up the interview and hiring process, but says humans will still be required to assess applicants’ interpersonal skills — something AI still struggles with — and Gjørup agreed.

“The leap to AI-led interviews was only a matter of time,” Nyman said.

“That said, its unlikely that AI will completely replace human interviewers — at least for now,” Gjørup said.