The British Surgical Federation is the latest organization to call for face-to-face interviews over concerns about the use of artificial intelligence in interviews.
The use of artificial intelligence in student interviews has become so problematic that there are calls for virtual interviews to be banned completely to deter cheating.
Last September, the Graduate School National Recruitment Program Committees of the four countries released the following report. position statement About that issue.
It was acknowledged that some applicants may use assistive technology to support their communication and processing needs, but this was very clear.
“To ensure a fair and unbiased interview experience for all applicants, the use of AI technologies, including but not limited to AI-generated responses, virtual assistants, real-time transcription tools, automated scripts, etc., is not permitted during online interviews.”
Some trusts are further refining their guidance on how AI can and cannot be used. For example, Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust announced: your own guide Utilization of AI in recruitment activities.
Now, the British Surgical Federation (CBS) has echoed wider sector concerns over reports of ambient AI being used in interviews to decide who will be hired for surgical training vacancies.
“CBS wholeheartedly supports this call to resume in-person interviews, given the serious compromise to fairness and integrity,” CBS President Mark Henry said in a statement.
“Our profession is built on trust and accountability, and by accepting applicants who do not espouse these values at the outset of their careers, we risk undermining the credibility of the entire surgical training system,” he added.
Concerns about candidate integrity
Ambient AI is a type of artificial intelligence system that can run in the background and is always active and responsive. In an interview context, you can listen, analyze, and respond without prompting. This means that interviewees will see suggested answers in real-time on their device screen.
Interviews are also conducted on-screen, with the AI’s responses displayed as an overlay, so candidates show few obvious eye movements and don’t need to type questions into the software. Because of this, it is very difficult to detect if a candidate is using it. The real-world problem with this is that because a candidate appears prepared, well-organized, and knowledgeable about a particular subject, you may inadvertently boost their potential, even though you may know very little about what the candidate is talking about.
Virtual interviews and virtual technical assessments have been in the news lately as major technology companies are concerned about candidate integrity.
Google is Reintroducing face-to-face interviews For this very reason, it is reported that over 50% of candidates are using AI tools to solve coding challenges during virtual interviews.
Other legal entities Companies that are re-holding in-person interviews or refusing to hire remotely include McKinsey, Cisco, and Deloitte.
The virtual interviews in question are being overseen by Medical and Dental Recruitment Selection (MDRS), the national body responsible for managing and coordinating recruitment for all postgraduate medical and dental training courses across the UK.
MDRS introduced virtual interviews during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing applicants to log in remotely and complete interviews online.
Oliver Townsend, Chairman of the British Orthopedic Trainers’ Association, said: “The best way to definitively eliminate the use of AI in interviews is to conduct them face-to-face. We therefore urge the MDRS to immediately revert to face-to-face interviews for future recruitment rounds for both core surgical training and advanced specialist training, to protect the validity and integrity of the selection process and patient safety.”
