Unemployed Britons are given access to government-supported AI chatbots and are allowed to help them apply for jobs, but employers fear that the scheme could cause flooding of unrelated applications.
The Science, Innovation and Technology departments will invite AI companies to fill out the form next week, complete job searches, and develop “agents” that can register patients with doctor surgery. The Minister says that “AI helpers” will cut down on life managers and modernize public services as they will be running in 2027.
This move comes from rising unemployment. Official figures this week showed that 3.7 million people claim universal credit without labor requirements. At the same time, entry-level roles have declined and are increasing competition for available jobs.
Unlike existing chatbots such as ChatGPT, planned government tools are designed to perform tasks such as booking flights, updating driving license addresses, and registering for votes. Authorities said the aim was to “save people's time and modernize the nation.”
However, recruiters have raised concerns that such technologies will promote mass applications without scrutiny. A TotalJobs report states that nearly three-quarters of employment managers are already overwhelmed by the wave of inappropriate CVs. Many are created using AI tools.
Claire McCartney of the chartered HR Research Institute warned that “if candidates rely heavily on AI tools or are misused, this could mean they are not suited to the roles they applied.” One in four companies is trying to monitor or limit the use of AI in their applications.
Neil Carbery, CEO of the Recruitment and Employment Coalition, said: “If you're advertising your job, you get hundreds of resumes than you did a few years ago, indicating that many people don't really think about the job.
This argument comes as employment levels have fallen at 164,000 since last fall budget. Some economists have condemned rising costs of employment, particularly lower increases in national insurance contributions.
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle defended the scheme, claiming that the UK could become “the world's first country to use large-scale AI agents.” He states: “We were able to make the most of Agent AI to provide a level of service to citizens that were previously unimaginable. We will help people find better career opportunities and avoid wasting time on government managers.”
The government claims that AI helpers are optional. However, employers are already struggling to sift through applications, so the system fears it will add to the flood rather than improving job matching.
Jamie Young
Jamie is a senior reporter at Business Matters and brings over 10 years of experience in business reports for small and medium-sized businesses in the UK. Jamie holds a degree in Business Administration and regularly attends industry conferences and workshops. When not reporting on the latest business developments, Jamie is passionate about mentoring promising journalists and entrepreneurs to inspire the next generation of business leaders.
