Conor thought he was applying for a real job when he submitted his application. Things quickly felt strange when he received an interview invite just minutes later. It seemed too fast, especially in today’s tough job market. When he logged in, he realized he was talking to an AI, not a person. The AI was clunky, asking generic questions and not providing any details about the role or the company.

Fake interviews and mysterious follow-ups

Conor left the interview confused and a bit frustrated. Then, he got an odd email from a startup called Alex. The message promoted a new AI mock interview platform, suggesting it could help job seekers practice their answers. But the link led to a blank page with “coming soon” written on it. Conor started to wonder if the whole thing was a scam or a way to waste his time for some other purpose.

The company behind the AI and its real motives

Turns out, Alex is a real company. It was founded by John Rytel, a Brown University dropout, and Aaron Wang, a former Facebook AI employee. The startup went through Y Combinator in early 2024 and raised $2.8 million from investors. Rytel and Wang say existing hiring software doesn’t do a good job. They want to improve the experience with AI, but their system still feels glitchy and impersonal, just like the ones it aims to replace.

Experiencing the AI firsthand

We tested Alex’s AI ourselves. The interview felt robotic, slow, and repetitive. Like Conor, we couldn’t get any real info about the job or company. When asked about the mock interview offer, the AI denied any knowledge of it. After finishing, we got the same blank page and email as Conor. It all made us question whether this was a genuine hiring tool or just another way to collect data or scam users.

The bigger picture: AI in hiring and its pitfalls

Conor’s experience is part of a wider problem. Many Americans are discouraged from job hunting or giving up altogether because of frustrating AI tools. A recent report found almost a quarter of workers are “functionally unemployed,” often because they feel talking to robots is demeaning. Studies show that a majority of job seekers dislike AI-driven hiring, fearing it’s unfair or biased.

There’s also concern about AI bias. These tools are trained on biased data, which can lead to discrimination. For example, research shows AI often favors names associated with white applicants over others, reinforcing existing inequalities. A Harvard study highlighted that applicants with strong connections or high income are more likely to succeed with AI systems than qualified but less-connected candidates.

As AI becomes more common in hiring, many worry it’s making the process less fair and more confusing. Companies may tout their AI as innovative, but many systems still seem incomplete or even deceptive. The rise of “ghost jobs”—fake listings designed to lure users into testing AI tools—raises questions about how much trust we can really place in these new technologies.

Ultimately, Conor’s story and others like it show how AI in recruitment can feel cold and untrustworthy. While the technology promises efficiency, it often leaves candidates feeling used or misled. As AI continues to grow in hiring, it’s crucial to stay vigilant and demand transparency from companies using these tools.

Inspired by

• https://futurism.com/job-application-mock-interviews-alex

Sources

• gmpg.org
• cnbc.com
• archive.is
• businessinsider.com
• crunchbase.com