Common myths about how employers use AI for hiring

Artificial intelligence is quickly changing the world of recruitment. More and more, people are using AI for job application support. However, one aspect of AI in recruitment is still a mystery: how exactly employers use it.

You don’t need to look far on TikTok or YouTube to find tips for tech-proofing your CV and ‘tricking’ employer software to help you get noticed. However, much of this advice is rife with misinformation, misunderstanding and even a bit of scaremongering.

We’re here to set the record straight on what’s myth and what’s really going on with AI in recruitment, so you can understand what’s happening on the other side of that ‘Apply’ button once and for all.

Misinformation and trusting your sources

Look no further than a simple Google search to find conflicting information about how employers use AI.

In this image, Google's AI overview gives one answer, and the first result from Reddit gives another. So, who can you trust, and why should you believe them?

At Bright Network, we're partnered with over 300+ of the UK's top graduate employers in a wide range of industries and sectors.

To put together this article, we pulled information from our clients on what technology they are (and aren't) using to hire student and graduate talent. Our guidance is based on conversations with real talent teams who hire people every day.

We also asked our Senior Talent Partner, Shanice Hicks-Coffey, to weigh in and check that everything we've found is true. Shanice has hired for hundreds of roles in her career and leads on recruitment at Bright Network, and we're happy to say we've got her seal of approval. Finally, our tech team has confirmed that what we've found is true from a technological perspective.

Common myths about AI in recruitment

Myth #1: Your applications are being screened by artificial intelligence

The reality is that most UK employers are not using AI to screen candidates, at least as of 2025.

Bright Network’s Platform Partnerships Director, Paul Porter, works with top graduate employer partners and global recruitment companies on a day-to-day basis. Based on his conversations with clients, he says:

"Most employers in the UK are not using AI to screen applicants. It's a myth that it's happening everywhere. The tech is just not advanced enough for employers to use confidently yet."

It may be that within a few years, it’ll be standard practice for employers to use AI for screening. For the moment, however, that’s just not the case.

Myth #2: Employers are using biased technology to reject your applications

Many artificial intelligence models are indeed biased, considering they are trained on existing data that might have been affected by human biases.

However, employers are well aware of this serious limitation to using AI, and that’s one of the reasons that artificial intelligence is not being used for screening yet.

Myth #3: All employers are using AI for hiring

This statement is too sweeping to be true; all employers aren’t aligned in anything, let alone in AI usage and processes.

Some employers are adopting AI tools a lot more readily than others, but you won’t always know which ones.

What is ATS?

ATS stands for Applicant Tracking System. It is specially designed software that's used for managing hiring processes and tracking candidates.

When you apply for a job, often your information will automatically upload to an ATS, where it can be reviewed by the relevant hiring managers in a streamlined way.

Many applications are reviewed anonymously to ensure processes are fair. An ATS might hide your name or gender so that an employer can review your answers as objectively as possible.

It’s important to note that ATSs are platforms designed to help hiring teams make decisions as fairly and efficiently as possible, but they do not replace the human decision-making process.

The ATS doesn’t hire you – the people using the ATS do.

Do ATSs use AI?

Yes, many ATSs use artificial intelligence to function more efficiently. However, AI isn't involved in decision-making about who gets rejected or accepted.

AI might be used within an ATS to:

• Summarise data about application answers or demographics

• Offer writing support, eg. helping to draft emails to candidates

• Schedule interviews by finding times that work for candidates and employers

These AI features can help hiring teams work more effectively, but they do not replace humans at any point in the process.

So when do employers use AI in recruitment?

Paul Porter puts it this way:

“If employers are using AI in hiring, it’s for process management, not decision-making.”

Employers sometimes rely on AI to assist them in their day-to-day tasks. For example, they might use it to help them write a job advert that entices you to apply.

AI can also be used for process management, helping to schedule messages or meetings, or organising a pipeline of talent through the application funnel.

One-way interviews are often facilitated by AI. AI video tools can summarise your answers into notes and potentially even provide an overview of your performance, but humans will always make the final decisions. AI is simply a tool to help hiring teams work more efficiently.

What does the future look like? 

In this article, we’ve focused on the state of play in hiring right now – but if one thing is for sure, it’s that AI develops fast. It may well be that in the near future, AI is used for screening and potentially rejecting or accepting candidates. 

Whatever happens, Bright Network will always work to reduce bias in hiring processes, and we’ll champion strong AI regulation to make sure that the future of recruitment is fair to everyone. 

For more information and guidance on AI in recruitment and job applications, visit Bright Network's AI Insights Hub or read the full article.

Written by Sara Murray, Senior Content Marketing Manager at Bright Network.