So today I had my first AI interview. Honestly, I was hesitant at first…but I decided to go through with it. And whew… what an experience. It was weird, a little cool from a tech perspective, but overall so impersonal.

The flow of the experience was fine. I was greeted by a friendly enough AI bot named “Alex,” who asked a series of pre-written questions. I responded to each with my verbal and on-screen responses, trying to show my personality through a screen… to a robot.

But let me tell you…this cannot be the future of interviewing. There was no real-time engagement, no ability to ask clarifying questions or feel out the vibe of the person “on the other side.” It felt like trying to spark a conversation with a voicemail.

Here’s the thing: If I can’t bring in an AI advocate to represent me as a candidate (which would be absurd), why are companies outsourcing something as human and nuanced as an interview to a chatbot? I get it…efficiency, scalability, streamlining. But also? Yikes.

Of course, a few hours later, I received that dreaded “thanks, but no thanks” email. One of those auto-generated rejection notes we’ve all gotten a dozen times. No feedback, no real context, just a vague brush-off. You know the spiel. I honestly feel like it was a ploy to sign up for this AI assistant because after my interview they sent a marketing email.

Simon Sinek once said, “If you don’t understand people, you don’t understand business.” That quote played in my head the moment I got the AI interview request. And it rang even louder after going through the process.

So what did I take away from all this?

• Technology is amazing, but it shouldn’t replace human connection.
• I want to work with teams who see people, not just profiles.
• I’m proud of myself for showing up, even when it felt uncomfortable and uncertain.
• Every “no” brings me closer to the right “yes.”

Maybe the future of interviews includes more AI…but I still believe the best work (and the best hiring decisions) happen when real people connect.

So to anyone else navigating this strange job market: keep going. Keep being human. The right team will appreciate what you bring to the table and they’ll want to hear it straight from you, not your recording.