“Unlike people, I didn’t feel any prejudice against me from artificial intelligence (AI) interviewers, so I liked it.”
Large Chinese banks are introducing AI interview systems one after another in the process of hiring new employees. While it has the advantage of excluding the emotions of individual interviewers, there are many harsh criticisms that “I repeated the wrong question.”
Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on the 16th that “an increasing number of Chinese banks are introducing and operating AI interview systems to reduce costs and time incurred in hiring new employees.” China’s leading banks, including the Bank of China, Industrial and Commercial Bank, Agricultural Bank, Construction Bank and Shanghai Bank, have used AI interview systems to recruit new employees this year, and the first generation of AI interviews are working as new employees.
AI interviews were conducted mostly in the middle of written tests and final face-to-face interviews. Before the interview, the applicant installed a separate AI plug-in (additional functions) suggested by each company on his or her computer to respond.
“I felt more comfortable talking to AI interviewers than general interviews,” said Xu, a job applicant who recently had an AI interview. If a person did not give a satisfactory answer during a face-to-face interview, the “human interviewer” did not give a second chance, while the AI interviewer gave a sufficient chance to answer. Another interviewer, Lee, said, “The AI interviewer was unbiased and did not put pressure on me.” It was attractive to see an AI interviewer nodding and responding while answering.
Of course, many are against it. “I felt awkward as if I was talking to myself (because the other person is not a real person),” said an applicant who recently had an interview at a large bank. “I applied for a customer management position, and the AI interviewer asked me about my handwriting all the time,” he said, pointing out the technical limitations of the AI interview system.
Despite some negative reactions, the introduction of the AI interview system is rapidly spreading. According to an AI industry report recently published by Yoniou, a Chinese software supplier, about 60% of Chinese financial companies operate an AI interview system.
“AI interviewers can have up to 2,500 interviews within 24 hours,” SCMP said. “For hiring companies, the time required can be drastically reduced compared to face-to-face interviews.”
SOPHIA KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
