Overview
Research explored job applicants' perceptions of fairness regarding artificial intelligence (AI) in hiring processes. Specifically, the study investigated how the presentation of AI, via avatars sharing traits with applicants, influenced feelings of rejection fairness following negative hiring decisions made by AI tools. The core finding indicates that job rejections felt least fair when AI avatars shared a single trait with the applicant.
Research Context
Companies are increasingly integrating AI into hiring, extending beyond CV evaluation to include AI tools for conducting job interviews and making hiring decisions. These AI interview tools often utilize avatars, which are animated characters. A stated justification for AI adoption in hiring is its potential to save time and its perceived impartiality compared to human biases.
Findings
The study observed that job rejections administered by AI were perceived as least fair when the interviewing avatar shared only one characteristic with the job applicant. This specific condition, where a singular trait was shared between the avatar and the applicant, correlated with a heightened sense of unfairness regarding the AI-driven rejection. The use of AI avatars in the context of making hiring decisions was central to these findings on fairness perception.