Risks and Issues in Recruitment from AI

AI is here whether we like it or not, and the big tech companies are falling over each other to get a lead on the technology. Although it brings incredible power with it to save time, there are significant concerns about the regulation of such power, the moral implications and the potential dangers it could pose.

1000 of the world’s leading AI experts (including Elon Musk, Steve Wozniac) have called for a halt on AI development, citing “out of control development” - until the regulatory frameworks can be put in place.

Diving deeper, there are more issues we need to be aware of, if not now, over the next 2 or 3 years. Quantum computing is on the near horizon (experts say 5-10 years), and it has been reported that Google's Quantum Computer in development, is about 158 million times faster than the world's currently fastest supercomputer.

It’s going to affect all of us.

Looking in more detail at recruitment and the workplace in general…

Taking our Jobs?

A pair of economists at Goldman Sachs recently estimated that AI could replace two thirds of jobs in the US, and wipe out 300 million jobs across the world. That equates to 1 in every 11 jobs, globally! Jobs such as programming, marketing, research, analysts and even recruitment have traditionally been safe careers, but significant numbers of these are predicted to be replaced by AI.

So - The number of jobs to be filled will be significantly reduced, and the skills needed for many of them will change.

One such “new role” is Prompt Engineer. This is someone who writes the description of the task that the AI is supposed to accomplish. 

AI Created CVs - Fraudulent Candidates

Did you know that it is possible to create a fake CV to suit a specific job vacancy in about 5 minutes? This makes it easy to fool ATS systems into getting shortlisted or interviewed as well as pushing out a better candidate who has real experience. It also wastes the recruiter’s time.

AI Avatars

Even now it’s possible to create an on-screen avatar using your own photo and your voice. Using that avatar you could even take part in a conversation. As AI & computing power increases, it will be hard to distinguish real from fake.

Identity Fraud & Remote Work

This is not just a potential issue with recruiting, it's a potential nightmare scenario for all of us. If a “fake” person applied for a job, using the identity of a real & qualified candidate, and they work remotely - how would you know?  

In the era of remote work, how would a recruiter or hiring manager even know if a candidate really exists? It’s pretty easy to differentiate now, but what about in 3 years?

What happens if a perfect “fake” candidate is given a job in a sensitive business area, where they have access to research or sensitive data or security?

Smaller organisations may not have the resources to check every applicant’s qualifications.

Candidates’ AI Embellished CVs

Candidates will become adept at using AI tools to embellish their CVs to create ever better CVs.

There are already AI tools out there such as https://coverdoc.ai/ to help target your cover letter to a job vacancy.

Fake Candidates from Agencies

Recruitment Agencies could use highly targeted fake applications to find out more details about roles advertised by competitor agencies.

Flooding Applications

“Bad Actors” - could use AI to create multiple fake candidates to flood competitor’s systems with fake applications.

Bias & Discrimination

AI systems are trained on data collected from various sources, which may contain biases. These biases can be inadvertently incorporated into the AI algorithms, leading to unfair treatment of certain individuals or groups during recruitment processes, such as screening and shortlisting of candidates.

The use of AI in recruitment may also give rise to legal issues, such as potential discrimination claims from candidates who feel they have been unfairly treated by AI-driven processes.

Loss of Human Touch

As we increasingly use AI-driven recruitment tools, the process will increasingly lack the personal touch and emotional intelligence that human recruiters bring to the table. This could result in a less engaging candidate experience and potentially overlook candidates with unique qualities or potential that may not be captured by AI algorithms.

Over-reliance on AI

Relying too heavily on AI-driven recruitment processes may lead to missed opportunities to identify and engage with high-potential candidates who may not fit the traditional mould or criteria established by AI algorithms, or may fit a role that has not yet been finalised.

Ethical Considerations

The use of AI in recruitment raises ethical questions about the potential for manipulating candidate data, surveillance, and the impact of AI-driven decision-making on fairness and transparency in the recruitment process.

Cyber Security Risk

AI combined with the growing computer power, will make it easier to create programs that can hack into sites & systems. It is suggested that when AI combines with quantum computing (which is getting near) the computing power will be sufficient for AI systems to crack almost any password in seconds. Many of the big tech players (Google, Microsoft) are likely to be moving away from passwords, but bear in mind, however smart you make the security, given enough computing power and AI, it can be cracked.

The use of AI in recruitment can involve the collection, storage, and analysis of large amounts of personal data. This raises concerns about data privacy and security, as well as compliance with data protection regulations like GDPR.