Artificial-intelligence (AI) tools have been marketed as a time-saving tool for professionals, and one of the ways companies are starting to use these tools is by streamlining the recruiting process.
Key Details
- Many employers use some form of AI when recruiting new candidates, but recent advances in technology have companies relying even more on these tools.
- While companies may be excited about the time-saving possibilities of AI, potential employees are not as enthusiastic.
- According to a Pew Research Center survey, the majority of Americans oppose using AI in personnel decisions like hiring, firing, and promotions.
- However, some believe AI can do a better job than a human when analyzing employee applications.
Why it’s news
AI is already starting to make its way into the workplace, and recruitment is one of the first jobs it affects. With AI tools, recruiters and hiring managers can more easily analyze and sort through hundreds of resumes. While tools like this have been used in the past, employees are wary of more advanced tools that may make decisions for employers, such as who to let go or who to promote.
Of those surveyed, 71% oppose allowing an AI tool to make a final hiring decision, while only 7% say they would be comfortable with it. Another 41% oppose allowing AI to review employee applications at all. In general, a plurality of respondents is opposed to AI usage in the workplace, whether using it to monitor employee behavior and customer interactions or automatically keeping track of employee attendance.
Despite this resistance to using AI in the workplace, many respondents think AI can do a better job than humans completing specific tasks. For example, 47% of respondents believe that AI would do a better job of reviewing job applicants than human workers.
No matter their view on AI in the workplace, most workers believe that AI will significantly affect the overall workforce, and only 21% think there will be minor changes. Surprisingly, while 62% believe AI will majorly affect the overall workforce, only 28% think it will affect them personally.
When considering how beneficial AI may be, workers are fairly pessimistic. Only 13% think AI will help the general workforce, while 32% believe it will hurt them. Another 32% think it will be both helpful and detrimental to the workforce.