The influence of artificial intelligence (AI) on the scope of employment has become a major source of worry in recent years. While some contend AI will result in greater inequality and job losses, others think technology might boost productivity and open new opportunities. Gen Z, born after 1996, are more open to technology than any other as they haven’t known life without the Internet. AI, especially generative AI, has become an integral component of their everyday life. However, some members of this generation are exploiting AI while looking for employment and recruiters report getting hundreds of similar cover letters and application answers.
In an interview with CNBC Make It, Shoshana Davis, a Gen Z career specialist and the founder of the career consulting Fairy Job Mother stated that the generation has grown overly dependent on AI apps like ChatGPT to create cover letters and responses to job applications.
“So I speak to businesses and employers who hire anything from like 10 to 1000s of Gen Z every year. And one of the main challenges that I’m seeing at the moment is the use of AI, specifically ChatGPT, and it’s not being used in the right way, and it’s not being used effectively,” Davis said.
Employers, according to Davis, are receiving hundreds of identical cover letters or similar responses to job application questions, leading them to believe that ChatGPT usage is in play.
While acknowledging that we should “embrace technology and AI,” Davis also warned against using ChatGPT responses as a template for job applications.
Davis shared with the news outlet a recent story about a company she works for that was interviewing for a brand marketing role and questioned candidates about their favourite fitness-related product releases in the previous year.
Davis was informed by the concerned company that they had about 100 similar replies stating, “My favourite campaign launch was Peloton.” The employer recognised that this was a ChatGPT response, given that Peloton was introduced four or five years prior. The employer was making reference to a 2020 Peloton advertisement.
According to Davis, young people “need to educate themselves” about ChatGPT usage, going beyond just copying replies.
According to Davis, ChatGPT may be utilised in the job search process, but only as a tool and not as a replacement.
Although Davis claims she never just “types in a question and then copy and paste my responses,” she does use ChatGPT to help her organise materials, generate ideas and create drafts.