[These Days] Have You Adapted to 'AI Myeonjeop'?

AI interviews have become the trend. How are you coping with it?
Photo by YouTube Screen Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] Nowadays, people basically go through an 'Artificial Intelligence (AI) interview' when applying for jobs. AI interviews have now become the trend.

An AI interview is a hiring system where AI evaluates candidates during the interview and verifies application documents to make hiring decisions. Instead of a human interviewer, the interview is conducted on a computer equipped with a microphone and webcam. Typically, candidates record their interview videos, which the AI analyzes and evaluates in real time.

The AI used in AI interviews asks candidates questions and evaluates their answers immediately through real-time monitoring. Evaluation factors include facial expressions, voice pitch and speed, gestures, frequency of positive and negative word usage, and even subtle fluctuations in brainwaves.

Currently, AI interview programs such as 'InAIR' by software developer Midas IT, and 'IM' and 'IM Ground' by the job matching platform Saramin are mainly used.

Since this method hires talent based on objective data aligned with what companies want, the probability of selecting candidates suitable for the job increases. In traditional hiring methods, even if candidates lied on self-introduction letters or aptitude test answer sheets, there was no way to verify authenticity. However, AI interviews can assess candidates' sincerity through brainwaves, making it easier to understand job suitability.

From a company's perspective, AI interviews save time and costs compared to systems where interviewers meet and evaluate candidates face-to-face. From the candidate's perspective, it is an efficient method because they can choose the time and place, reducing the fatigue and time involved in human-conducted hiring.

People today welcome AI interviews for these reasons. Interviewers still do not hesitate to ask questions like "Why aren't you married yet?", "Do you know anyone in our company?", "What year did you enter X University? Do you know so-and-so?", "Why did you leave your previous company?", or "Where did you serve in the military? I was there too."

There are even many 'Mr. X' and 'Mrs. X' who ask unnecessary questions that provoke prejudice, stir emotions, or break down rational barriers, such as questions about family matters represented by "What does your father do?". Because of this, people nowadays feel satisfied just by being in a situation where they do not have to listen to or answer such questions.

Since AI interviews are conducted between AI and job seekers, the absence of human subjectivity is also an advantage. Traditional face-to-face interviews are heavily influenced by the preferences, thoughts, and subjectivity of the interviewer on that day. AI evaluates candidates solely based on objective data pre-set by the company, enabling a fair hiring process.

Due to this efficiency, companies are increasingly adopting AI interviews. While it takes 10 people a full week working 8 hours a day to read and evaluate 10,000 self-introduction letters, AI can evaluate the same amount of candidates in just 8 hours a day. This is because AI takes about 3 seconds on average to evaluate one self-introduction letter.

AI interviews have become a matter of adaptation rather than preference.
[Photo by pixabay]

According to data from the Korea Economic Research Institute, among the top 500 companies by sales with more than 300 employees, 22.1% plan to use or are already using AI in their new hiring processes. Well-known companies such as KT&G, LG Uplus, Hyundai Engineering, KB Kookmin Bank, Hanmi Pharmaceutical, Korea Asset Management Corporation (KAMCO), and Lotte Group mostly utilize AI interviews in their hiring processes.

There are clearly drawbacks to AI interviews. Both hiring companies and candidates may feel uneasy entrusting human evaluations to machines. It is also not easy to smile and maintain an active attitude facing a camera during the interview.

Additionally, there is no opportunity to recover from mistakes during the interview. It is a 'lonely battle' against an emotionless, cold interviewer who does not provide a final chance to speak, such as "Do you have any last words?" Candidates must rely solely on their smiles.

Perhaps because of these reasons, although AI interviews are becoming mainstream, not all companies have adopted them. Currently, AI interviews are more of a supplement to existing hiring methods rather than an essential and critical screening process. Most companies use AI interview results to verify candidates' basic tendencies, job suitability, and work qualifications rather than to make final hiring decisions.

It is unrealistic to embed all societal considerations into AI technology, and it is also impossible to guarantee that current AI programs assess candidates with 100% accuracy. However, AI is undoubtedly the trend. Moving toward the future is not a matter of liking or disliking but of adaptation. Those who adapt quickly will be the winners of the future.