Hilke Schellmann - The Algorithm: How AI Decides Who Gets Hired, Monitored, Promoted & Fired & Why We Need to Fight Back Now

Hybrid/Remote Centre of Excellence

This conversation features an interview with Hilke Schellman, author of "The Algorithm: How AI Decides Who Gets Hired, Monitored, Promoted, Fired, and Why We Need to Fight Back Now." The host, Nola Simon, shares her personal experiences and concerns about AI in hiring processes, which led her to Schellmann's work.

Key points discussed include:

1. The increasing use of AI in hiring processes, especially for high-turnover positions.
2. Potential biases and inaccuracies in AI hiring tools, such as:
   • Favoring certain names or keywords unrelated to job performance
   • Misinterpreting data and making incorrect inferences
   • Potentially replicating existing workforce inequities
3. Lack of transparency and oversight in AI hiring systems, with many companies unaware of how their tools actually make decisions.
4. The need for thorough testing and scrutiny of AI hiring tools to ensure fairness and effectiveness.
5. Concerns about how AI might disadvantage certain groups, including immigrants, non-native English speakers, and those with speech differences.
6. The tension between efficiency in hiring processes and finding the most qualified candidates.
7. The importance of accountability and responsible use of AI in hiring practices.

Key Questions Raised:

- How accurate and fair are AI hiring tools really? - What data are these systems using to make decisions? - How can job seekers know if AI is being used to evaluate them? - Are companies doing enough due diligence on the AI tools they use? - How can we ensure AI doesn't perpetuate existing biases in hiring?

Action Steps for Employers:

1. Thoroughly test any AI hiring tools before implementation 2. Regularly audit AI systems for biases and inaccuracies 3. Maintain human oversight and don't rely solely on AI rankings 4. Prioritize finding qualified candidates over speed of hiring 5. Be transparent with candidates about use of AI in hiring process

Action Steps for Job Seekers:

1. Be aware that AI may be used to evaluate your application 2. Focus on clearly communicating relevant skills and experience 3. Consider how AI might interpret information on your resume 4. Prepare for potential AI-powered video interviews 5. Advocate for transparency in hiring processes

Key Takeaways:

- AI hiring tools often have hidden biases and flaws - More scrutiny and testing of these systems is urgently needed - Job seekers have little visibility into how they're being evaluated - Companies need to balance efficiency with fairness and accuracy - Human oversight remains crucial in hiring processes

Hilke Schellmann, is an Emmy award winning investigative reporter and assistant professor of journalism at New York University.

As a contributor to The Wall Street Journal and The Guardian, Schellmann writes about holding artificial intelligence (AI) accountable. In her book, The Algorithm: How AI Decides Who Gets Hired, Monitored, Promoted, and Fired, And Why We Need To Fight Back (Hachette), she investigates the rise of AI in the world of work. Drawing on exclusive information from whistleblowers, internal documents and real‑world tests, Schellmann discovers that many of the algorithms making high‑stakes decisions are biased, racist, and do more harm than good.

Her four part investigative podcast and print series on AI and hiring for MIT Technology Review was a finalist for a Webby Award.

Her documentary Outlawed in Pakistan, which played at Sundance and aired on PBS FRONTLINE, was recognized with an Emmy, an Overseas Press Club, and a Cinema for Peace Award amongst others. In her investigation into student loans for VICE on HBO, she uncovered how a spigot of easy money from the federal government is driving up the cost of higher education in the U.S. and is even threatening the country’s