I read an article the other day by CNBC’s Hugh Son about a voice authentication tech startup that was put to the test during an online interview. A candidate seemed just slightly off, nothing too obvious at first, but something didn’t sit right. The facial expressions didn’t quite line up with what the candidate was saying. After a closer look, the selection committee realized the applicant was using deepfake AI software to impersonate someone else. Thanks to their experience and attention to detail, they caught the scammer before the process went any further. But it took a deep dive to uncover the truth.
Now, this was a tech startup with the resources to catch that kind of deception. What about the rest of us, those without the tools or experience to detect this kind of fraud?
The rise of deepfake technology has made it easier than ever for people to impersonate candidates in video interviews, creating a real threat to the integrity of the hiring process. Since COVID-19, virtual interviews have become the norm, and it’s getting harder and harder to know who’s really on the other side of the screen.
AI has already been a game-changer: editing, reviewing, generating ideas, and more. It’s incredibly useful, especially for small businesses that don’t have the resources of larger companies. And don’t get me wrong: virtual interviews are a great way to speed up hiring. But relying on them exclusively, without at least one face-to-face meeting before making an offer, is risky. Really risky.
As we continue to integrate AI into our workflows, we’re also starting to see its darker side, one that many people aren’t fully prepared to confront. What happens when AI starts to make entire job roles obsolete? What happens when people use it to manipulate processes that once required real effort, skill, and authenticity?
Just the other day, I was scrolling through Instagram and came across an app that generates polished, professional headshots. It literally makes everyone look like a million bucks. I couldn’t help but compare them to my own LinkedIn photo. Mine was taken by a real photographer who came to the office. Sure, there was some editing, I think I asked him to remove a wrinkle or two but it was still a real person behind the camera capturing a real moment. Now, we have apps that can not only enhance your appearance, but also improve your speech, translate your voice into multiple languages, or even create an entirely new persona, an avatar version of you, for your LinkedIn profile.
As I spend more time using social media tools for business, I’ve noticed how these platforms are increasingly designed to help us appear smarter, more polished… and sometimes like someone we’re not. But as we embrace these tools, I can’t help but wonder: What happens when the line between reality and illusion is so blurred that we don’t even know who we’re dealing with anymore?
For some people, especially those who work entirely remotely, their digital persona becomes their identity. It’s their alter ego. And without real-life interactions, it can turn into a fake reality, one without genuine connection or community. Let’s not lose that. Let’s get real again.
In a world where AI can now generate entire résumés, cover letters, work samples, and even simulate soft skills like language fluency, it’s more important than ever to prioritize human connection. Personal contact matters. Real conversations matter. We can’t rely solely on virtual interviews or automated systems. We need to meet people face-to-face, get to know them, shake hands, and build authentic relationships.
You might be thinking this is just a sneaky way to convince you to work with a recruiter. What can I say, subtlety has never been my strong suit. But let’s be real for a second, this goes way beyond a sales pitch. It’s about protecting the integrity of the hiring process, making genuine connections, and staying human in a world where even the humans might be fake.
The truth is, like many recruiters, we’ve built our business the old-fashioned way: by meeting real people, building real relationships, and growing a network we actually care about. When we meet someone new, we don’t just collect their résumé, we get to know them. And it works both ways. The scammers aren’t just candidates, there are fake employers out there, too. So candidates, be careful. Working with a reputable recruiter can help protect you from that side of the equation as well.
Here’s the message I want to leave you with: Make an extra effort to really get to know your network, both candidates and employers. Don’t cut corners. Because while AI can mimic many things, it can’t (yet) replace the authenticity of a real human interaction.