When you apply for a job today, there’s a real chance that a computer, not a person, makes the first cut. More and more companies now rely on AI to sort resumes and decide who gets an interview, and that decision often happens before a human even sees your name. These tools might save time, but they don’t always get it right, and if something about the process feels off to you, that’s not something you should ignore.
How is AI used in job applications?
Companies use AI to scan resumes, analyze how you answer questions online or even watch how you move or speak in a video interview – all so the system can guess whether you are a “good match.” But when a machine pulls patterns from past data, it doesn’t always see the full picture, and that can cause it to filter you out for reasons that have nothing to do with your experience or ability to do the job.
Can AI make biased or unfair decisions?
It can – and it does. If the system was trained on biased data, it’s going to carry that bias forward, even if nobody meant for that to happen. So if most of the data came from younger workers, the system may give older adults lower scores, simply because they don’t fit the pattern it expects. And if your background, accent or disability puts you outside that pattern, you could get rejected before a real person even looks at your file.
What are your rights if AI gets it wrong?
Even if a computer made the call, your rights don’t go away. Federal laws like the Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act still protect you, and that protection includes decisions made by automated systems.
You have the right to fair treatment, and if something about the process feels discriminatory or off in any way, you can ask for a human review. In Pennsylvania, that also means you can file a complaint with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC), which handles hiring discrimination tied to race, age, disability or any other protected trait – no matter if a person or a machine made the decision.
You still have a voice
If a system pushes you out for the wrong reasons, you don’t have to let that slide. A computer doesn’t get to define your worth, and it doesn’t get the final say. If something didn’t sit right with you, ask questions, push back or talk to someone who understands how to challenge decisions that don’t feel fair – because you still have a voice, and you have every right to use it.
