PeopleGPT deploys AI in recruitment, but not without downsides

Platforms like PeopleGPT are poised to dramatically change the recruitment industry in the years to come. Created by the team at Juicebox in the US, PeopleGPT is using advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technology to help companies find the perfect candidates for their open positions.

With the explosion of AI in recent years, it was only a matter of time before it started making waves in the recruitment industry. PeopleGPT is an exciting new platform that is leveraging AI to make the recruitment process faster, more efficient, and more accurate than ever before.

One of the biggest advantages of PeopleGPT is that it’s able to sift through massive amounts of data in just seconds. This means recruiters can now find the candidates they are looking for in a fraction of the time it used to take, saving them both time and money. Furthermore, PeopleGPT can help HR managers and recruiters focus on the most qualified candidates, saving them from having to sift through resumes that don’t match the skillset they’re looking for.

PeopleGPT is also able to take the emotion out of the hiring process. Instead of making decisions based on gut feeling, recruiters can use PeopleGPT’s data-driven approach to find the most qualified candidates for their open position. This allows them to hire the best possible candidate for the job, rather than relying on a “good enough” solution.

On the flip side, PeopleGPT uses multiple career and employment platforms to source its data, which is now accessible in most English-speaking countries, yet somewhat alarmingly, there is very little information around data privacy and security.

Businesses may be better equipped to source their own talent with tools like PeopleGPT, and it’s possible that the role of recruitment consultants may change a bit as companies become more self-sufficient. However, there is still value in having a consultant with a wide network of candidates and the ability to provide personalised recruitment services, so I don’t think their role will be completely eliminated.

There is also a risk that AI in recruitment could dehumanise the hiring process, but it ultimately depends on how the technology is implemented and used. On one hand, AI has the potential to automate routine tasks like candidate screening and scheduling, freeing up recruiters to focus on more high-level tasks and personal interactions with candidates.

However, if AI is used exclusively for decision-making and lacks transparency, it could lead to bias and discrimination. 

Amazon’s early use of AI in recruitment serves as a cautionary tale of the potential dangers that come with using AI exclusively for decision-making, without transparency and diversity in the data that trains the algorithm. The technology was trained on data from a 10-year period, predominantly from male applicants. This led to a system that was biased towards male candidates, effectively discriminating against female candidates. This unfortunate incident highlights the importance of carefully shaping and monitoring the data used to train AI systems to avoid such biases and promote diversity.

Additionally, candidates may feel that their applications are being evaluated solely by machines, leading to a less personal experience overall.  

Ultimately, it will be up to recruiters and employers to strike a balance between the efficiency benefits of AI and the need to maintain a human touch in the recruitment process. By using AI to support human decision-making rather than replace it entirely, we can leverage the best of both worlds and create a more fair, efficient, and human-centered hiring process.

Charlotte Hall is the founder and recruitment and HR partner at Hallway People. 

This is an expanded version of an article that was first published on LinkedIn.