The use of artificial intelligence (AI) to make hiring decisions has become increasingly common in recent years, but many Americans aren’t happy about it. According to the Pew Research Center, the majority of those surveyed — 66%, or two-thirds — would not feel comfortable applying for a job at an employer that uses AI to make hiring decisions. On top of that, 71% of participants were opposed to AI making the final hiring decision.
Companies like Amazon, Goldman Sachs, and Unilever have all implemented AI-powered video analysis tools to help with the recruitment process — though Amazon’s AI-powered recruitment tool faced backlash after it was found to be biased against women in 2014.
Colleen McClain, a Research Associate at the Pew Research Center and co-author of the study, told Insider that many survey respondents think “AI would lack the personal connection” needed for hiring. Additionally, one respondent noted that AI can be biased, and can allow for “structural biases based on race or socioeconomic status to persist unchallenged.” Other respondents pointed out that AI can’t take into account all of the job applicant’s qualities, such as body language.
However, 32% of those surveyed believe that AI-based hiring can be beneficial. One man in his 40s commented that AI may be less biased that humans in certain ways, particularly when it applies to workers who don’t have a traditional work history. On top of that, a woman in her 70s noted that AI may be less prejudiced, especially for older workers who have been passed over for jobs because of their age.
AI isn’t just being used for recruiting — tech giants like Uber and Amazon have been using AI to calculate worker salaries, leading some to label the phenomenon “algorithmic wage discrimination”. This has led to a “public debate” over how AI will impact work, according to McClain.
Company-wise, Amazon is a tech giant that has achieved tremendous success through the use of AI. With AI algorithms sourced from an AI-powered recruitment tool, Amazon has been able to dominate the retail space and has achieved a customer base that spreads throughout the world.
The person mentioned in the article is Veena Dubal, a professor at UC Hastings with a focus on the use of AI within the labor marketplace. Dubal was involved in a recent study that found that large companies were using AI to pay people different wages for the same job — which she refers to as “algorithmic wage discrimination.” Dubal is an advocate for ensuring that AI is used responsibly within the labor marketplace, and has expressed her concerns over AI usage becoming a tool to further amplify existing power disparities between workers.
