AI in job searches boosts edge but risks backfiring

The growing use of AI tools in job hunting has created tension between candidates looking for competitive advantages and employers seeking authentic skills assessment. As the job market becomes more competitive due to layoffs, both job seekers and recruiters are navigating complex questions about the ethical boundaries of AI assistance during the application process, forcing companies to establish clearer policies about when and how AI should be used in hiring.

The big picture: Job applicants are increasingly using AI tools to enhance their job applications, while recruiters are pushing back against what they see as technology-enabled misrepresentation.

• Dani Schlarmann, a recruiter at blockchain technology company Ava Labs, noticed concerning patterns including identical-sounding cover letters and resumes, embellished qualifications, and engineers using AI to solve coding tests.
• In response, Ava Labs now requires some candidates to sign agreements promising not to use AI assistance during interviews.

What they’re saying: Some employers view AI use in job applications as crossing ethical boundaries when it misrepresents a candidate’s actual abilities.

• “We’ve had a few people fight us back on it and say ‘we should be able to use any tool at our disposal.’ Honestly, this is not the company for you, then,” said Schlarmann, who added: “For engineers, we pride ourselves on coding prowess and there are going to be times when the AI can’t solve something for you.”
• Julie Schweber, senior HR knowledge advisor at the Society for Human Resource Management, explained that employers understand candidates might use AI to enhance applications but draw the line at misrepresentation: “It certainly makes sense because you want a candidate that is evolving with the technology and not afraid of technology.”

Current landscape: Major companies are beginning to implement explicit policies around AI use in their hiring processes.

• Anthropic, a San Francisco AI startup, requires job applicants to agree not to use AI assistance for certain questions to assess “genuine interest and motivations for working at Anthropic.”
• Amazon asks candidates to acknowledge they won’t use generative AI during interviews or tests when applicable.

Why this matters: The tension highlights a fundamental question in today’s AI-powered workplace: when does using technology cross from being a productivity tool to becoming a crutch that masks a candidate’s true capabilities?