How Recruitment AI Left a Makeup Artist Jobless

Anthea's story is a poignant reminder of the human element in a world increasingly governed by algorithms.

In the digital age where AI is becoming more and more widely used, Anthea Mairoudhiou's story emerges as a cautionary tale. 

Formerly secure in her job as a MAC makeup artist, a subsidiary of Estee Lauder, Anthea found her career unexpectedly derailed by an AI's cold calculation. 

READ ME: AI Safety Summit: 5 Things You Need To Know

READ ME: Prepare for AI Babies: AI is revolutionising the success rate of IVF

Tasked with reapplying for her position during the 2020 furlough period, she faced an unusual judge: AI, analysing her every move through the lens of a video interview. Despite acing her performance, Anthea's job slipped through her fingers due to HireVue's AI critique of her body language.

This incident is one of many unfolding against the backdrop of the UK's enthusiastic embrace of AI in HR, standing as a global front-runner in integrating these technologies for tasks like recruitment and employee assessment. 

The technology designed to streamline hiring may not always spotlight the most qualified candidates, yet, its allure is undeniable to companies.Award-winning investigative reporter Hilke Schellmann, author of The Algorithm: How AI Decides Who Gets Hired, Monitored, Promoted, and Fired and Why We Need to Fight Back Now, explains in her book "We have really seen very little evidence that the tools pick the most qualified candidates. But they save companies a lot of money… We know that the tools are very cost-efficient. They save companies a lot of money in labour."

READ ME: Love in the age of AI: 2400% search increase for AI ...

READ ME: Dr. Miriam Al Adib lifted the lid on Almendralejo's AI Scandal ...

The ripple effects of Anthea's ordeal extended far beyond her professional life, casting shadows on her mental well-being. "I just thought it was the end of the road of that career, a career that I've worked really hard in," she told press, “Mentally it massively affected me. I felt very let down, and I thought I was going mad."

Her battle, however, wasn't in vain. Following widespread concern, HireVue dialled back on its facial analysis feature early in 2020, and Anthea took a legal stand against Estee Lauder which resulted in an undisclosed settlement.

Anthea Mairoudhiou says the experience affected her mental health

Meanwhile the cosmetics company has stated,"Any suggestion that visual recognition technology plays a decisive role in any employment-related decision at MAC UK & Ireland or the Estee Lauder Companies UK & Ireland is false."

Anthea’s narrative is more than a personal saga; it's a tale which reflects our AI era's challenges. With AI's footprint expanding in HR, the outcry for regulatory guardrails grows louder. Anthea's story is a poignant reminder of the human element in a world increasingly governed by algorithms.