--- title: Job Interviews with a Robot: Why A.I. is Not Ready to Take Over the Hiring Process description: Hilke Schellmann, author of "The Algorithm," argues that AI-based tools aren't ready for use in the hiring process. Yet, many large American companies already rely upon them. canonical: https://time.com/6695392/a-i-hiring/ author: Joey Lautrup article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2024-02-20T16:16:38.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-19T07:39:46.255Z article:section: Ideas og:title: Job Interviews with a Robot: Why A.I. is Not Ready to Take Over the Hiring Process og:description: Hilke Schellmann, author of "The Algorithm," argues that AI-based tools aren't ready for use in the hiring process. Yet, many large American companies already rely upon them. og:url: https://time.com/6695392/a-i-hiring/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt589fcc61985861be/698a4893cabb1d2307e52ab1/AI_THUMB.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1920 og:image:height: 1080 og:image:alt: AI_THUMB og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Job Interviews with a Robot: Why A.I. is Not Ready to Take Over the Hiring Process twitter:description: Hilke Schellmann, author of "The Algorithm," argues that AI-based tools aren't ready for use in the hiring process. Yet, many large American companies already rely upon them. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt589fcc61985861be/698a4893cabb1d2307e52ab1/AI_THUMB.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Job Interviews with a Robot: Why A.I. is Not Ready to Take Over the Hiring Process > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Inside TIME: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Inside TIME is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories. Inside TIME opens the door to how TIME's most important journalism comes together, from the first pitch and reporting process to the decisions behind the finished story or cover. 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Hilke Schellmann, author of "The Algorithm," argues that AI-based tools aren't ready for use in the hiring process. Yet, many large American companies already rely upon them._ by [Joey Lautrup](https://time.com/author/joey-lautrup/) and [Justine Simons](https://time.com/author/justine-simons/) Feb 20, 2024 4:16 PM UTC Hilke Schellmann, author of "The Algorithm," argues that AI-based tools aren't ready for use in the hiring process. Yet, many large American companies already rely upon them. by [Joey Lautrup](https://time.com/author/joey-lautrup/) and [Justine Simons](https://time.com/author/justine-simons/) Feb 20, 2024 4:16 PM UTC Hilke Schellmann, author of "The Algorithm," argues that AI-based tools aren't ready for use in the hiring process. Yet, many large American companies already rely upon them. ## Transcript [00:00] My name is Akash almond. [00:01] I'm an investigative reporter and I would have called the algorithm. [00:09] Over the last six years. [00:10] I've come to understand that nearly all large companies [00:13] in the United States by using AI based hiring tools somewhere [00:17] in the hiring process. [00:18] And so do job platforms like LinkedIn monster indeed ZipRecruiter [00:23] and others. [00:24] the resume screeners AI games to find the right personality [00:28] trait for jobs a I operated social media background checks [00:32] in one-way video interview questions on the devices themselves [00:37] answering [00:39] the vendors of these tools that a great idea and looks less [00:44] money and makes hiring position hiring will find the most qualified [00:47] candidates for the job and its overall less biased than humans [00:51] making hiring decisions and the vendors are right about a few [00:55] things. They actual speed up the hiring process and safe companies [00:58] a ton of money and we humans are not very good at hiring people [01:03] of color older workers women and people with disabilities [01:05] have been underestimated for decades and I've got fewer chances [01:09] in the workplace compared to Whiteman. [01:14] I wanted to know a little bit more how these tools work and how [01:16] it feels to be a job applicants being asked to use these tools. [01:19] So I tested them and one of the tools I tested was marketed [01:23] to companies in the west hiring call center employees in the [01:26] global South and one of their criteria was how well do the candidates [01:30] speak English and I started first speaking English answering [01:33] the questions and I got an eight point five out of nine English [01:37] proficient. That's why you're proud because this is actually [01:39] my second language. [01:40] That's a guy that had nothing to do with what I got an email [01:57] and it said that I scored six which was surprising because [02:03] I didn't say a word of English that this tool could actually [02:06] infer how well I speak English. [02:08] I got in touch with a company and ask for, and [02:12] and and speaks through this and fake kind. [02:14] Didn't know either why was Court this way I kept asking like [02:16] why was I scored six out of nine and they kept explaining [02:19] that German and English and is 5 d a i space were close together, [02:23] but they couldn't actually answer. [02:25] How was I scored? [02:26] I talked to a couple of employment lawyers and their shared [02:29] with me that many of their resumes cleaners. [02:32] They look sad had fires variables 12 wall gay folks that have [02:36] the word baseball on the resume more points and folks who had [02:40] the word softball on the resume fewer points the job at nothing [02:44] in the United States has more men like in play baseball [02:52] and more women like to play softball. [02:53] A lot of times resume screeners are trained with resumes [02:57] from people who are currently in the job. [02:59] So if a company has had five hiring processes in the past and [03:03] maybe has more men and roles that they I-20 may find that there's [03:07] a lot of people grab the word baseball on the resumes and that [03:10] was a predictor of success. [03:13] So what does this all mean for people looking for jobs today? [03:16] A lot of the tools I've investigated or not ready for Primetime [03:20] and shouldn't be used in high-stakes decision-making [03:22] including hiring. I'm not saying we should go back to human [03:26] hiring what I'm saying is let's build better tools and not take [03:31] the bias that we seen humans and put them into the system [03:34] and hide them under technology. [03:37] I want HR managers and folks building these tools to steal [03:40] my methods and test these tools themselves first because [03:44] we clearly need better tools better oversight and regulations. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6695392/a-i-hiring/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6695392/a-i-hiring/"},"headline":"Job Interviews with a Robot: Why A.I. is Not Ready to Take Over the Hiring Process","datePublished":"2024-02-20T16:16:38.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-19T07:39:46.255Z","description":"Hilke Schellmann, author of \"The Algorithm,\" argues that AI-based tools aren't ready for use in the hiring process. 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