Kailey Browne's Blog

Category: Uncategorized

  • Should AI Decide Who Gets an Interview?

    As the job market gets increasingly competitive, many people, including myself, find themselves applying to dozens of jobs with little to no responses. While this is frustrating as an employee, it is also important to look at this from an employer’s perspective. How could real people be expected to look through hundreds of applications and resumes a day?

    A Forbes article discusses the benefits of using artificial intelligence I for hiring, leading with the fact that ATS data entry and manually sorting through resumes can take up to 40% of a recruiter’s time. AI can make this process faster and more efficient by scanning for keywords to find the best fits for a role, matching relevant experience to applicants, as well as alleviating tasks from recruiters and hiring managers.

    Given these facts, it makes sense that many companies today use AI in their recruiting process, even if it is just the first step. According to an article by the World Economic Forum, close to 88% of companies already use AI in their initial screening process, and in another study they also report seeing higher levels of success in the AI-chosen candidates, as well as significantly lower costs.

    But, on the flip side, it can be seen as discouraging to think that candidates are spending time and effort on creating resumes, only for them to never be seen by a real hiring manager. In a study conducted by the Pew Research Center, 66% of U.S. adults said that they would not want to apply to a company that used AI to make hiring decisions. This disapproval could also be due to a number of factors that cause AI to seem unreliable for hiring. When applications are screened mainly for keywords, qualified candidates may be overlooked, while a human reviewer might recognize skills and potential that don’t match the exact wording of the job posting.

    In my personal opinion, AI should not be used as a primary screening tool. When it is used to screen applicants, qualified candidates may be filtered out before a recruiter even reviews their resume, without being given a reason why. Especially as someone who deals with hiring at my workplace, I think there is a lot of value in personally reading through applications and getting a sense of the candidate’s personality and potential, not just their technical skills.

    How much of a role should artificial intelligence play in the hiring process, if any? Is there more of a benefit in human judgment and decision making?

  • Is AI a comparable replacement for customer service workers?

    As an information systems student, it’s important to consider the impact of AI on real-world jobs. As we see the rise in automation and the transition to artificial intelligence, it’s not surprising that many of us find ourselves growing accustomed to speaking to a robot rather than a real human.

    It’s easy to look at the statistics and see it as a positive, especially from a business standpoint. Even researching the option of AI customer service representatives, you immediately see benefits such as:

    • 24/7 availability
    • Cost reduction
    • Faster response times
    • Larger scalability
    • Consistent and guaranteed responses

    But as both a consumer and employee, it’s hard to ignore the downsides. From a personal perspective, it feels difficult to rely on an AI chatbot to be able to answer any question or issue I may have. Even trying to troubleshoot a seemingly simple problem via an automated robot can turn into a never-ending loop with no solution. Additionally, talking to a real human, especially in a vulnerable or difficult moment, is most likely going to feel more personal and meaningful.

    While researching the opinions of others on this topic, I have found similar results. Humans consistently feel let down by AI agents. Whether it’s due to the lack of empathy, the feeling of being stuck in an automated loop, or privacy concerns, many people struggle to accept these artificial representatives. 

    An article by CNBC discusses customer reactions to AI chatbots, stating that 1 in 5 consumers saw no benefit in AI customer service representatives. This article specifically mentions that, regardless of a customer’s opinion on AI as a whole, they rank it among the lowest when it comes to customer service in terms of usefulness, time-saving, and convenience.

    In addition to the consumer standpoint, it’s hard to accept this reality as someone who has worked in customer service for 6 years. Interacting with people every day, you form connections and learn more about those around you, as well as about yourself. Even a seemingly mindless 5-second interaction has the ability to change the trajectory of someone’s day. By taking away these moments, we are losing the importance of community and connection.

    All of this being said, I think that the primary concern is the decrease in human interaction and the inability to adapt and consider a person’s feelings when it comes to problem-solving in the business world. Being a person who enjoys working in customer service and engaging with people all day, it’s hard to imagine a world without that. I’m interested in learning more about how AI will evolve in this sector, as well as how the general public will react to it.