Government publishes ‘Responsible AI in Recruitment’ guide

After concerns were raised about the use of AI in the recruitment process, the government has recently published its ‘Responsible AI in Recruitment’ guide.

Released by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), it identifies the potential ethical risks of using Artificial Intelligence in recruitment and hiring processes and provides guidance for procuring and deploying AI responsibly in the HR and recruitment sector.

Responding to the new guide, Tania Bowers, Global Public Policy Director at the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo), said, “Having worked closely with the DSIT to develop the guidance, we are pleased to see the information now publicised. Artificial Intelligence has significant potential in the staffing sector, as our recent AI Decoded event demonstrated.

“However, as with any new tools, there are inherent risks that must be mitigated against, and clear guidance such as this has a crucial role to play.

“This is particularly timely given the vote earlier this month in favour of the EU AI Act. While there will be an implementation period, this new regulation will impact any recruiters with operations in or who provide services into the EU.

“There are a number of principles that staffing companies must guarantee they are following so that they aren’t exposing their business to potentially discriminatory systems or inadvertently implementing AI that doesn’t follow the required functions or intentions that these tools should be used for.

“It’s important to add that these guidelines have been developed to inform staffing firms and aren’t written into law. In order to support our members as they navigate the complex AI landscape, we are producing a ten-step plan which provides recruitment firms a roadmap to follow so that they are compliantly implementing new tools into their solutions.”

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