752: AI is Disadvantaging Job Applicants, But You Can Fight Back — with Hilke Schellmann

AI Critiques

Hilke Schellmann critiques the use of AI in hiring, particularly focusing on emotion recognition and personality assessments. She highlights the lack of scientific backing for these techniques, noting that AI's ability to interpret facial expressions and emotions is flawed. "The computers are very good at tracking our facial expressions," she explains, "but I might not actually be happy" 1. This discrepancy raises concerns about the fairness and accuracy of AI-driven hiring processes 2.

   

Vendor Changes

In response to criticism, some HR tech vendors like Hirevue have adjusted their offerings by removing emotion and tone recognition features. Jon Krohn and Hilke discuss how these changes reflect a growing awareness of ethical considerations in AI use 3. However, challenges remain, as transcription tools used in AI interviews may not fairly represent all candidates, especially those with accents or speech impairments 4. "The AI doesn't actually predict on the audio of people speaking," Hilke notes, highlighting ongoing fairness issues.

   

Study Needs

Hilke advocates for longitudinal studies to evaluate AI's effectiveness in hiring, emphasizing the need for transparency and rigorous testing. She suggests that such studies could reveal whether AI tools truly predict job performance over time 5. "We don't have these longitudinal studies," she states, underscoring the gap in current research. Additionally, she raises concerns about the lack of accommodations for candidates with disabilities in AI assessments, questioning the fairness of these tools 6.