More than 99 per cent of Fortune 500 companies are harnessing this cutting-edge tech to sift through applicants during the recruitment process, according to Jobscan research. Moreover, a Resume Builder survey found that nearly 40 per cent of companies will use AI for initial candidate interactions this year.

Despite their reservations about the technology, a new report reveals that job applicants adapt to employers' use of AI. Interestingly, an earlier study found that nearly three-quarters of employers are still scratching their heads about how to implement AI effectively.

AI has extended its reach to recruiter calls if a report by The Guardian is anything to go by. The site claims employers are now using the technology to conduct preliminary screening interviews, which involves providing answers within a strict time limit.

This usually comes as a bolt from the blue for candidates who click on a video invite only to find no interviewer present or answer a call to be greeted by a voice like Siri or Alexa. It's worth noting that many candidates probably have no idea they're participating in an AI-driven interview.

One woman told the Guardian that she expected a person or a panel but when she clicked on the call, I was surprised to enter a chat room with just myself.

With the emergence of employer-focused AI recruitment tools, similar tools designed to empower job seekers have also been gaining traction. In fact, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman predicted that AI systems will play a key role in improving workers' abilities in three critical sectors: coding, education, and healthcare.

The Guardian's report suggests AI will empower candidates by helping them improve their resumes, automate job applications and even generate personalised cover letters.

While these AI-powered tools can help companies perform repetitive and time-intensive tasks without breaking a sweat, per Forbes, they still have some kinks to work out. For instance, companies can't entirely rely on this technology to handle executive decisions, like selecting the next CEO.

However, Rory Mir, associate director of community organizing at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, believes AI can be useful for hiring lower-ranked workers.

A recent study published by researchers at Stanford, Chicago, and the Allen Institute (via arXiv preprint server) revealed that AI hiring tools do not eliminate the risk of bias. The research showed that AI hiring tools might make discriminatory assumptions about candidates based on speech patterns.

So, it's safe to say that the technology, in its current form, is not ready to eradicate the perpetuating unfair hiring practices.