(Web Desk) - A man has been left both spooked and disappointed after being interviewed for a new job by a bizarre AI avatar.
Instead of a video call with a human interviewer, US-based marketer Jack Ryan was met with a red-haired female avatar asking him about his work experience.
The avatar even encouraged him to answer her questions with a story.
During the conversation, Ryan, a San Diego native, can be seen with a smirk on his face.
In a now viral post on professional social media platform LinkedIn, Ryan said: "AI avatars are now performing interviews.
"Not sure if I’m impressed, weirded out or terrified. (Clearly my face gives me away)."
Ryan, a self-described disabled athlete, was interviewed by an 'AI agent' supplied by Australian startup called Fairgo.ai.
The company says its AI avatars can halve the time it takes to screen candidates for open roles.
But the firm also says these bots can produce 25 per cent fewer in-person interviews, which Ryan called "a perfect demonstration of late stage capitalism".
Speaking to 404 Media, who first reported the development, Ryan added: “While Fairgo's intent is to provide a fair and equitable interview process, I can't imagine AI, LLMs, and other tools are able to interpret the human emotion and facial reactions to provide an actual, well rounded interview.
“As a disabled individual who is reliant on remote work, I am already concerned about openly stating I am disabled in the forms that companies put at the end of their job applications.
“To add an AI component into this mix, I imagine, would have the opposite effect of inclusion.” According to Fairgo's CEO Julian Bright, once the introductory video voiced by the AI avatar ends, interviews are done by an audio-only AI.
It is only the audio transcripts that are reviewed after the 10-15minute interview is over.
Bright added that Fairgo does not make decisions on who to shortlist for a role.
That decision is always up to the hirers.