Bloomberg Law had a good article yesterday by Jo Constantz about AI-conducted job interviews. (Paid subscription may be required to access.) According to the article, many companies are now using AI interviews for the first round in the hiring process, which probably makes sense especially when there are a lot of applicants, and then going back to old-fashioned human interviews of the applicants who survive round one. The article piqued my curiosity, so I went to some AI-interview websites and saw some actual and demo interviews on YouTube and TikTok. A couple are here (real) and here (demo).

Yuck. Chat bots with vocal fry, long pauses after the live human answers the questions, no genuine reactions to what the live human actually says. And check out this one (real), where the AI bot glitched and just started saying "vertical bar pilates" over and over during the interview. I love the expression on the interviewee’s face. 

Can't we at least bring back real robots?

The following AI interview is fictional. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead or virtual, is purely coincidental. Feel free to opine in the comments about why you think this guy didn’t get a recommendation for a second interview (with a human). The applicant is a litigator, so this company may be seeing him in court. Then again, he may let it go because he probably dodged a bullet.

WAVE OF THE FUTURE

A one-act drama

By Robin E. Shea

*Ring. Ring.*

Kelvin: Hello, this is Kelvin Ayter.

Ashley: Hello, Kelvin. My name is Ashley. I am here to interview you for our (30-second pause) Senior Associate position. Is this still a good time for us to talk?

Kelvin: You bet.

Ashley: (30-second pause) Great. Let’s do it.

Kelvin: Sounds good.

Ashley: (30-second pause) Great. Let’s do it. Tell me about yourself.

Kelvin: Well, I got my bachelor’s degree in business administration and my JD-MBA cum laude from Duke.

Ashley: (30-second pause) Great. (another 30-second pause)

Kelvin: Um, Ashley, are you ok?

Ashley: (30-second pause) Great. It sounds as if you meet all of the educational requirements for an associate attorney.

Kelvin: Yes, I think I do.

Ashley: (30-second pause) Great. What year did you graduate?

Kelvin: Do you mean college, or law school?

Ashley: (30-second pause)

Kelvin: Uh, Ashley?

Ashley: (30-second pause) Did you graduate from high school?

Kelvin: Well, sure.

Ashley: (30-second pause) When did you graduate from high school?

Kelvin: 1997.

Ashley: (60-second pause) Great. That means you are 45 years old.

Kelvin: Almost. My birthday is in July.

Ashley: (30-second pause) Great. (60-second pause) Your resume says that you graduated from law school in 2010.

Kelvin: That’s right. I took some time off between college and law school to run my own business.

Ashley: (60-second pause)

Kelvin: Are you still there?

Ashley: (30-second pause) Great. Did you graduate from college in 2001?

Kelvin: Yeah. I started my business after graduation and ran it until 2006, and then kept it going part-time after I started law school. Then I went back to the business full time until 2019, when I decided I would like to practice law and joined my current law firm.

Ashley: (60-second pause) Great. I’d like to ask you a question about the law. This is a position in litigation. What is the pleading that instigates a lawsuit?

Kelvin: Uh, that would be a “complaint.”

Ashley: (30-second pause) Great. Tell me the difference between a motion to dismiss pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6) and a motion for summary judgment pursuant to Rule 56.

Kelvin: Sure. Both of these are ways to get a lawsuit dismissed before trial. On a 12(b)(6) motion, the court has to assume that everything alleged by the plaintiff in the complaint is true. Based on that assumption, if the court finds that the plaintiff still has no valid legal claim, then the court can dismiss the lawsuit. A motion for summary judgment is usually filed later, after the parties have engaged in discovery, and the court can consider the evidence presented by both sides – but if there is a disputed fact, the court has to assume that the party who did not file the motion is correct. And if there are any disputed material facts, the case has to go to trial. Would it help if I gave you some examples?

Ashley: (120-second pause) Great. It sounds like you have a super understanding of the civil procedure.

Kelvin: Thanks. I’ve been litigating for six years, so I'd better! (Laughs)

Ashley: (30-second pause, no laugh) Great. Well, those were all the questions I had, so we can conclude this interview. But before we do, are there any questions you have for me?

Kelvin: Yes. Can you please give me the salary range for this position?

Ashley: (60-second pause) Vertical bar pilates. Vertical bar pilates. Vertical bar pilates. Vertical bar pilates. Vertical bar pilates. Vertical bar pilates. Vertical bar pilates. Vertical bar pilates. Vert --

Kelvin: Um, Ashley?

Ashley: (reloading) Great. Do you have any questions for me before we conclude?

Kelvin: Yeah, never mind about the pay. What benefits do you offer?

Ashley: (60-second pause) Great. We offer a 401K with matching, and group health insurance and life insurance that are super. Do you have any other questions before we conclude?

Kelvin: Yeah, what is your partnership track?

Ashley: (60-second pause) Great. We have a 10-year partnership track but may in our sole discretion provide credit for prior legal experience. Do you have any other questions before we conclude?

Kelvin: I guess not.

Ashley: (30-second pause) Great. Thank you for taking the time for this interview. Vertical bar pilates. Someone will be back in touch with you super soon.

Kelvin: Thanks, Ashley. I look forward to hearing from you.

Ashley: (30-second pause) Have a great day.

Ashley’s Report:

Report Generated 21:48 GMT 5.29.25

Interview date: May 29, 2025

Candidate: Kelvin Ayter

Position: Senior Associate

Candidate’s Score: 50/100

Assessment: Candidate meets educational requirements and answered legal questions correctly but is not recommended for callback interview based on answers to other questions. Vertical bar pilates. Vertical bar pilates. Vertical bar pilates.