Job seekers are increasingly using AI to write applications, while employers are using AI to screen applications.Jenny Kane/The Associated Press

Technology evangelists promised that artificial intelligence would take the pain out of recruiting: Job seekers would apply for positions with minimal effort, while hiring managers would quickly surface the best talent. But so far, the profound changes unleashed by AI have been a disaster.

Job seekers are frustrated to have their résumés screened out by AI systems without knowing why. They often apply for hundreds of jobs and consider themselves lucky to even receive a rejection notice. Applicants feel they need to use AI chatbots like ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot to pepper their résumés and cover letters with keywords that match the job descriptions to get through. Many also turn to AI chatbots to create cover letters and résumés quickly so they can apply for large numbers of positions with the hopes of landing a job.

Meanwhile, hiring managers are flooded with a huge number of applications – sometimes thousands for one position in a day. Many applications are similar, as they’ve been written with AI, making it hard to distinguish between........

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