Is it live, or is it Memorex?

That was the question asked by the narrator in the 1972 Memorex ad campaign for their blank cassette tapes.

The campaign, created by the Leo Burnett ad agency in Chicago, set out to prove that the recording tape manufactured by their client had exacting sound precision so accurate that it could mimic the glass-shattering performance of a live singer.

ELLA FITZGERALD

Enter Ella Fitzgerald, jazz legend and gold standard for vocal excellence and exemplar of high-fidelity sound. The campaign was a huge success, enabling Memorex to break out of its narrow niche and enter the mainstream of average music listeners.

We may no longer use Memorex, but we are using AI. However, the same question is still relevant. Is it AI or a real person?

In a Washington Post article by Taylor Telford, she explains that “The speedy embrace of AI tools meant to make job hunting and hiring more efficient is causing headaches and sowing distrust in these processes, people on both sides of the equation say. While companies embrace AI recruiters and application scanning systems, many job seekers are trying to boost their odds with software that generates application materials, optimizes them for AI, and applies to hundreds of jobs in minutes.”

Although job seekers may believe this gives them an edge, it is a nightmare for recruiters and hiring managers, who are now dealing with more applicants than they can handle, all while contending with the knowledge that many of them may be bots, cheaters, or deepfakes.

CHATBOTS TALKING TO CHATBOTS

Meanwhile, chatbots are talking to chatbots talking to deepfakes. At the same time, companies attempt to solve the AI problem with AI solutions, and any real live candidates are being lost in the maze as the top of the funnel gets bigger and bigger. Herval Freire, an engineer recruiter, provided an example. “In February, a job he posted on LinkedIn brought in 150 applicants within seven minutes. LinkedIn told him he’d have to pay to unlock any more. But when he looked through the candidate pool, he found scores of CVs submitted under multiple names and others riddled with errors and inconsistencies. “Almost every CV I read has been rewritten with ChatGPT or Claude,” Freire said, making it impossible to distinguish between candidates who used AI to polish their materials from those who outsourced the work completely.”

POTENTIAL LEGAL RISKS

Algorithmic discrimination is now a thing. The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued guidance in April 2024 on the use of AI in the workplace. As explained in the Washington Post article, “While companies can use AI to screen job applicants or assess employee productivity, for example, grading down a candidate based on speech patterns flagged by a video interviewing software could run afoul of antidiscrimination laws.”

States are also getting involved. Colorado’s Consumer Protection for Artificial Intelligence Act targets discrimination from AI tools. Next year, Illinois will begin requiring employers to notify job seekers and employees when they are using AI in employment decisions.

PIG IN A POKE

Merriam-Webster explains that a “PIG IN A POKE is something offered in such a way as to obscure its real nature or worth.” The comparison to the employer’s hiring dilemma couldn’t be clearer. With resumes crafted by AI algorithms scrutinized by equally intelligent AI algorithms, how does an employer know what to expect from a new hire?

HOW TO COMBAT AI SHORTCOMINGS

1. Referrals. Contacts, business associates, networking events – all of these can help bring qualified applicants to your door. Although it does make the hiring process more insular, it avoids many of the pitfalls associated with AI-focused hiring.

2. Background checks. If a candidate isn’t who they say they are, a background check may reveal it.

3. References. In-person discussions with someone who has worked with the candidate are a good way to weed out fake or dishonest candidates.

4. “Hometown” questions. Break up the usual interview questions with inquiries such as “What was your favorite campus café?” or “How did the team do last year?”

Vidoc Security Lab, a Polish cybersecurity start-up, recently published a guide on how to detect fake job seekers. You can check it out here.

HOW CAN ASN HELP?

At ASN, we personally screen all job applicants, check references, conduct background checks, and assess candidates’ actual skills and readiness for you so that you can be confident that your new hire is right for the job. If you would like to know more about our process or the pros and cons of AI, we would love to have that discussion. Just give us a call.