For subscribers
Job applicants are winning the AI arms race against recruiters
Companies have been hit by a wave of chatbot-generated applications.
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Recruiters are finding AI too much of a good thing as they are flooded with ChatGPT-enabled job applications.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: ISTOCKPHOTO
The Economist
Many harried recruiters would have greeted the release of ChatGPT with glee. At last, a tool that could ease the burden of drafting job descriptions, scheduling interviews and rejecting candidates. Like happy beach-goers who cannot see an approaching tsunami, they failed to predict what came next. A giant wave of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated applications has washed over them.
The number of job applications an average candidate sends has risen by 239 per cent since ChatGPT’s release in 2022, according to global data collected by Greenhouse, a provider of applicant-tracking software. Paid services like LazyApply and aiApply let candidates submit applications while they sleep, tailoring resumes and cover letters to a tee.
