Man Outsmarts AI Interviewer with Unexpected Move—What Happens Next Will Shock You
On September 2, WIRED reported on Christopher, a job seeker who had spoken repeatedly with Riley, an AI recruiter used by IT firm Everforth Apex Systems. After five AI interviews produced no conversation with a person, he put ChatGPT Voice on a call with Riley.
“I just put them next to each other, and they just hit it off,” Christopher said. The bots talked for ten minutes. Unsurprisingly, no human recruiter contacted him afterward.
He tried again with an invented, highly qualified applicant. That conversation lasted 23 minutes and ended with the familiar promise that a recruiter might be in touch. None was.
Christopher called the experience a “slop flywheel.”
The businesses using these systems describe a different goal.
In a November 10, 2025, announcement, AI workflow company Zapier defended the move to AI recruiters as optional.
“If you’d prefer not to participate, you can opt out with no impact on your candidacy,” the company wrote. It also said a recruiter would review the interview before deciding who advanced: “The final call always rests with people.”
By March 4, 2026, Zapier had conducted roughly 250 interviews in the trial. Its talent team reported that the time from application review to completed screening had fallen from eight days to 2.75.
“We screened 5x more candidates per role. Not 5% more. Five times more,” the team wrote.
Steer made a similar calculation. The automotive marketing company used BrightHire’s AI interviewer for 110 first-round interviews over two months, saving its recruiting team more than 35 hours.
Steer’s lead recruiter, Arianna Davis, said she emailed candidates personally to explain the process and offered a conventional interview to those who requested one. “I try to take care of my candidates,” she said.
“It’s never going to be 100% the same as a live recruiter,” Davis added. “And that’s okay.”
For many of Graham viewers, however, it’s most certainly not okay.
“1,000 times worse,” a viewer wrote
Total votes ·
Thanks! Check out the results:
Total votes ·
Subscribe to Access
Exclusive Polls
Thank you! You’ve successfully subscribed to newsletters!
RIVER OF GOODS Mid-Century Modern Transitional LED Bronze Chrome Ceiling Fan - 52" L x 52" W - Rich Barnwood/Light Driftwood Fan Blades - Metallic Ceiling Fan with Light and Fabric Shade
(as of October 17, 2026 01:00 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
1MORE Triple Driver In-Ear Headphones - Silver - Wired - Adult - In Ear - 18 grams - 90 days limited warranty
(as of October 17, 2026 01:00 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
1MORE Triple Driver in-Ear Earphones Hi-Res Headphones with High Resolution, Bass Driven Sound, MEMS Mic, in-Line Remote, High Fidelity for Smartphones/PC/Tablet - Silver
$69.99 (as of October 17, 2026 01:00 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
KiddyCare Diaper Caddy Organizer Cart for Nursery Baby Basket Gift for Boy/Girl | Diaper Caddy for Changing Table Basket Organizer with Dividers | Caddy for Baby Stuff Breast Pump Caddy - Regular
$9.99 (as of October 17, 2026 01:00 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Post Comment