AI Assistance in Interviews: Helpful or Harmful? HR Expert Explains

• An AI tool has amazed many people with its ability to give real-time feedback to an interviewee on how to answer tough questions passed during an interview
• Before using the tool, one is required to upload their CV, tell the tool about the company that will be interviewing them and also details about the role
• HR expert Susan Mtana shared her insights about using AI to ace an interview and the potential risks posed if it is discovered a candidate used AI to get the job

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Muyela Roberto is a business journalist at TUKO.co.ke with over 9 years of experience in the digital media, offering deep insights into Kenyan and global economic trends.

The dawn of the AI revolution is here, causing massive disruptions in nearly all aspects of life.

A man and a woman responding during an online interview. Photos for illustration. Photo Credit: JulPo/Fizkes. Source: Getty Images

AI threatening jobs

From farming, education, and medicine to journalism, transport, and industrial processes, AI is threatening to take over and render millions, if not thousands, jobless.

A trending video clip of an AI tool assisting a person in answering tough questions during an interview has been circulating online.

Many who watched the clip were amazed by the real-time answers it provided, while others questioned if it was a form of cheating that would later boomerang on the interviewee.

The tool requires the job seeker to upload their CV and details of the company set to interview them and the role.

After that, it needs access to the channel the prospective employers will use to conduct the interview. It listens in and provides customised responses in real-time.

Here are some reactions

rushikeshspatel:

"This is cheating."

_prasad_admane:

"How you handle ... situation like share your entire screen."

rosannnaz:

"My question is how this script could be more position related? It looks like the answers are very generic."

TUKO.co.ke, however, understands the videos made on the platform are simulations of job interviews and are not real-life interview scenarios.

Encouragement to use AI tools

TUKO.co.ke reached out to Human Resources and Personal Finance expert Susan Mtana, who underscored the benefits of AI inventions and the importance for employees and job seekers to keep up with emerging trends.

Mtana, however, explained her reservations about job seekers solely depending on an AI tool to answer interview questions.

She said it poses a risk of making the employer feel cheated when they discover the person who shined during the interview relied on tech assistance to create a false image.

"Candidates can use AI tools for preparation, but they should not rely on them to answer questions during the interview. Leveraging technology is beneficial, but building competence, soft skills, and overall employability is essential. Assuming that the work you are being interviewed for will not be remote, let us say it is a job that involves going to the field, it means you won't always have AI to assist you.

" Candidates should research about the organisation and be honest about any gaps in their experience, showing a willingness to learn. Using AI tools might help pass online interviews, but it's crucial to build competence for real-life scenarios," Mtana started off.

She noted that while technology is inevitable in the dynamic environment, it should not be used to cheat the system, adding that an employee's true worth or value is likely to be unmasked during the probation period.

Over-reliance on AI during interviews, she said, can mask a candidate's real abilities.

"If a candidate successfully uses an AI tool to get through interviews but fails to perform during the probation period, it would become evident. During this period, their performance is tracked, and if they fall short despite adequate support and clear expectations, further actions are taken, such as extending probation or providing additional training.

"Ultimately, if the candidate still fails to perform, termination might be considered. An employer discovering this would lead to feelings of being cheated," she concluded.

Man messes up his clothes during interview

Earlier, a man disclosed the extent to which anxiety impacted him during a job interview, admitting an unfortunate incident where he soiled himself while in conversation with his prospective employer.

Despite the mishap, the applicant stayed composed and completed the interview with the company's boss.

Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura Guthua, journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke