The Potential For Virtual Reality Games and Artificial Intelligence in Job Interviews

In a recent article by the Wall Street Journal, Richard Landers, faculty, offered insight on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the hiring process, particularly in regard to conducting interviews. The article, “The Job Interview is Broken. Here’s How AI Could Actually Fix It,” discussed the inevitable errors that come with using purely human judgment to hire, and outlined how some companies are already utilizing AI in the interview process.

Landers recommended the use of virtual simulations to allow interviewers to evaluate what candidates would actually do in a work-related scenario, rather than what they merely say they would do. However, Landers also addressed the biases that may come with using games in this way. He acknowledged that as children, boys are more likely than girls to play similar games. Because the gaming expertise those experiences build is not lost with age, such games may offer male candidates an advantage in the interview process unrelated to their performance potential, a bias that must be carefully engineered around. Landers also recognized that virtual reality technology is expensive, and for this interview method to be widely viable, prices across the market must become far more affordable.

Although there are still many issues employers need to consider when using AI for job interviews, Landers and others contend that AI could prove to be a valuable tool for the hiring process in the future.