This is what is known in the journalism business as a victory rap. You wrote something and instead of sinking the pieces into a bottomless sea of digital content, you actually had an impact.
In May, I reported that humanity would not use AI when applying for jobs at AI Labs.
Why do AI companies don't want people using such products? This technology should take over the world and revolutionize all aspects of work and play. Why stop by job seekers? I asked at the time.
Executive weight
About a week later, humanity's executive Mike Krieger was asked about this on CNBC. He said the company plans to reverse the ban.
Over the next few weeks, I occasionally checked the list of human work, but they continued to include a ban on using AI to write the necessary “Why Humanity?”. Essays during the application process.
We've added this to an unscientific dataset of experience covering business and technology over the past quarter of a century.
Friday's surprise
So I was surprised on Friday when humanity emailed me their new employment policy. You can read it all here. Here's the heading quote:
“Where that makes sense, I encourage you to use Claude to show you more of your perspective, skills and experience,” writes humanity, referring to its highly capable AI chatbot.
The new approach encourages candidates to work with Claude on tasks such as refinement of resumes, creating clearer cover letters and essays, and preparing interviews.
Important parts
This is an important part of me and is probably good advice for anyone applying for a recent job. When writing your resume and cover letter, or answering questions in the application, humanity wants candidates to write their first draft and then use Claude to improve it.
“We want to see your true experiences, but Claude can hone how you communicate about your work,” the startup explained.
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Unless otherwise stated, direct skill assessments and live interviews remain strictly human-only.
“I believe that AI should enhance human abilities and not replace them,” writes Jimmy Gould, head of talent for humanity.
The company is looking for applicants who can treat AI as creative partners rather than crutches.
Humanity argues that Claude has not made employment decisions and that candidate data is also used to train startup AI models. The goal Gould highlighted is to support authentic storytelling.
“That's why our process is designed to showcase your authentic experiences while acknowledging the valuable role that AI can play as a community,” he writes on LinkedIn.
Advice for other companies and job seekers
This updated policy reflects wider tensions in the tech world. This is a way to hire skilled AI talent without compromising the evaluation of core human skills.
“The pendulum is more shaking towards the humanities and the real human experience,” said veteran technical recruiter Jose Gardodo, adding that misuse of AI in evaluations can undermine trust.
As AI tools continue to intensify their work, Anthropic's new adoption guidelines provide playbooks for high-tech companies that navigate the finest boundaries between automation and reliability.
For candidates, the message is clear: bring your true self and bring Claude too. Know when you're going to let it talk and when you're going to shut it down.
Sign up for BI's Tech Memo Newsletter here. Please contact me by email abarr@busienssinsider.com.
