photograph: Thomas Lefebvre / Unsplash
Proponents argue that using AI to review job applications is dehumanizing and creates bias.
The technology is used by companies such as McDonald’s and Woolworths to process applications in bulk, but Unite Union’s assistant secretary of state, Gerald Hehir, is uneasy about handing over control to a computer.
“AI is basically a black box. It’s not just implementing the code, it’s learning and developing its own logic and systems, so it’s basically a black box,” he said.
“No one really knows the core parts of an AI system, how they actually make decisions.”
The technology was initially marketed as a way to eliminate bias, but it had the opposite effect, Hehir said.
“As we have seen many times over the last few years and have been studied in detail, the processes themselves often, of course, reflect the biases of those who created and designed them,” he said.
“Rather than actually eliminating bias, it can actually reinforce or even amplify it.”
Hehir said AI is most effective when screening applicants against clear requirements, such as having a driver’s license or appropriate visa.
But he was concerned that some companies were using AI to make subjective judgments about applicants’ personalities.
“If it’s used to evaluate hard, measurable criteria, that’s fine. But when you’re evaluating someone based on how they responded emotionally to a question, did they sound a little stressed, did they sound depressed, etc., I think that’s a big problem and it’s dehumanizing.”
Feedback on teens’ personalities
Kapiti mother Louise Hinton was helping her 16-year-old son apply for a job and was shocked when the AI used by Woolworths gave him unsolicited feedback about his personality.
The AI told my son that he would struggle with distractions and that he didn’t like trying new things, all based on a short text conversation.
“I’m concerned about his confidence. He’s dyslexic, he’s definitely disabled, and he’s also colorblind,” Hinton explained.
“For him, receiving feedback like that was like ripping his skin off. Well, why would he want to go through that again?”
Hinton said it felt cheap to use AI instead of an actual human.
“It’s just lazy and soul-destroying,” she said.
“These internationally run companies, well, the staff on the ground don’t have any say. They’re not on the ground, they’re not talking to real people, they don’t understand their needs and wants. They’re all just sitting behind a computer looking at data.”
Project Employ, an organization that trains neurodiverse New Zealanders and helps them find work, had similar concerns.
Emily Norton, head of employment programs at the company, said AI is a barrier for many of the people she works with.
“Anyone who deviates even slightly from the norm is at a real disadvantage. We don’t know exactly what the AI is looking for, but it’s probably looking for things like extroversion, eye contact, smiling, and speaking clearly, all of which are very difficult for graduates,” she said.
photograph: AFP/NurPhoto – Jonathan Ra
“A slightly perverted situation.”
Dr Andrew Rensen, senior lecturer in AI at the University of Victoria, said the technology had fundamentally changed the hiring process for both parties.
He said job seekers are using AI to fill out applications, and employers are using AI to read applications.
“We’ve gotten into a bit of a perverse situation where you have people using AI to create a ton of applications, and you have employers using AI to review applications,” he said.
“So AI screening AI, which is a bit dystopian, right?”
Rensen said he understood the need for a human touch after being involved in hiring decisions himself.
“Often, it’s only when you meet and talk to someone in person that you get a good sense of whether the person is right for the job and whether the job is right for you. You can also find out how much of what they say on their resume or application is actually true,” he explained.
Woolworths told RNZ it regularly reviews its tools for bias and offers non-AI alternatives to candidates who wish to do so.
“While we use AI tools to manage the early stages of hiring for some positions, AI does not make hiring decisions. Decisions are always made by our hiring leaders,” the spokesperson said.
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