WOULD YOU NOTICE IF YOU WERE TALKING TO AI DURING A JOB INTERVIEW?

Artificial intelligence has become an almost everyday topic of conversation. We talk about it on social media, in the news, at work and at home. AI is no longer unusual in recruitment either. It analyses CVs, helps select candidates, prepares interview questions and creates interview transcripts and, quite often, analyses as well.

But this time, the question is much more interesting.

What happens when AI is no longer just an invisible assistant, but sits across from you during a job interview?

THE AI INTERVIEWER

The internet is currently overflowing with AI interview solutions. However, there is a huge difference between a simple chatbot and a professional, photorealistic AI video interviewer.

After testing several of these solutions, I saw significant differences in quality. One avatar looked convincing, but it struggled to hear and frequently misunderstood what I was saying. The conversation felt frustrating. I had the impression that it could neither hear nor understand me properly, its responses were slow, and the next question often appeared completely out of context.

Another AI interviewer, however, spoke without a noticeable accent, listened carefully, reacted to what I said, asked follow up questions and maintained a lively conversation. It used natural intonation, pauses and emotionally appropriate reactions. It felt natural and convincingly human.

And that was when something interesting happened. After a few minutes, I stopped testing the technology and simply started talking to it. Even when I interrupted and suddenly shifted the conversation to a different topic, the AI interviewer adapted and did not become confused.

CAN AN AI INTERVIEWER BE INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM A HUMAN?

Not completely, at least not yet. The image occasionally freezes, the response can be slightly delayed, and at certain moments you can still sense the presence of technology. However, the gap is closing rapidly.

In English, these solutions can already conduct surprisingly natural conversations. In Latvian, the main limitation is currently not the appearance of the avatar, but its ability to hear, understand and speak our language flawlessly.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR RECRUITMENT?

First round interviews conducted by AI are not a story about the distant future. They are already happening in other countries.

AI will be able to ask structured questions, clarify candidates’ answers, capture evidence of their experience and prepare interview summaries. It will not become tired or rushed, and it will be able to speak with candidates at any time of day.

For recruitment professionals, this is not simply bad news. It is a very clear signal that the nature of their work will change.

The greatest value will no longer lie in the fact that a recruiter knows how to ask questions. Their value will lie in the ability to design the right interview methodology, interpret answers, understand context and take responsibility for the final decision.

Of course, there is also the basic mathematics. How much does a professional recruiter cost, and how much does an AI system cost if it can interview dozens or even hundreds of candidates at the same time?

But perhaps the most important question is not about cost.

Would you be ready for a job interview with an AI video interviewer if it spoke to you almost like a human?