Artificial intelligence isn’t just coming for your job—it’s deciding if you’ll get one in the first place. According to a fresh August 2025 survey from Resume.org, 57% of U.S. companies are already using AI in their hiring process, and a majority plan to double down.
The survey, which polled 1,399 full-time U.S. workers familiar with their company’s hiring practices, shows just how embedded AI has become in talent acquisition. Of the companies using AI, nearly 8 in 10 rely on it to review resumes, two-thirds use it for candidate assessments, and over 60% say it helps them research applicants. AI isn’t stopping at the early stages, either—41% use it to communicate with candidates, 39% for onboarding, and more than a third for actual interviews.
Interviews, But Make Them Algorithmic
AI-driven interviews are edging closer to science fiction. Companies report using machine learning tools to analyze candidate language (66%), transcribe interviews (65%), and even assess tone and body language (59%). More than half collect facial recognition data, while half let AI conduct interviews directly. A small but eyebrow-raising 6% allow AI to run the entire process without human oversight.
Surprisingly, pushback from candidates has been rare. Only 4% of companies said they’d heard complaints about AI-driven interviews—suggesting that job seekers may either be unfazed or unaware of how much AI is watching.
Efficiency Meets Ethical Headaches
For employers, the pitch is simple: 74% of companies using AI believe it improves the quality of their hires, and 54% say it definitely improves efficiency. But the drawbacks are glaring. Nearly six in ten fear AI could screen out qualified candidates, half worry it amplifies bias, and nearly half admit oversight is lacking.
And yes, bias is still very much a thing. Companies most often report discrimination by education level (63%), age (44%), and socioeconomic background (36%). Only 5% said they believe AI is truly bias-free—an admission that undercuts some vendors’ loftier marketing claims.
Meanwhile, 75% of companies allow AI to reject candidates without human review. Thirty-five percent say AI can nix applicants at any stage, while another 39% confine that power to resume screening. Just over a quarter require a human in the loop for every rejection. That’s a sharp break from HR orthodoxy, where “human touch” was once seen as non-negotiable.
The Road Ahead: Mostly Automated
The future is shaping up to be even more automated. Three-quarters of companies expect to expand their use of AI in hiring over the next year. Looking longer term, 62% say it’s “extremely” or “very” likely AI will run their company’s entire hiring process by the end of 2026—with another 15% saying it’s fairly likely.
That possibility raises obvious compliance and trust questions. “Companies should be open with candidates about AI’s role in hiring,” says Kara Dennison, Resume.org’s Head of Career Advising. She recommends transparency about what the algorithms do—whether screening resumes, rejecting applicants, or simply nudging hiring managers.
The catch? While regulation is slowly taking shape in places like New York and the EU, the U.S. federal framework is still lagging. For now, companies racing to automate risk finding themselves in a reputational minefield if candidates discover a rejection came from an algorithm with little oversight.
The Bottom Line
AI is already rewriting the rules of hiring, and Resume.org’s findings suggest that trend is accelerating fast. Employers see it as a competitive edge; candidates may not realize how much AI has infiltrated the process; and regulators are struggling to keep up. The next time you apply for a job, it may not be a recruiter flipping through your resume—it could be an algorithm deciding your future in milliseconds.
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