Your upcoming job interview may be conducted in virtual reality

For some people, attending a job interview is the stuff of nightmares, but for others, it's an opportunity to really stand out

In either case, you will still typically be interviewed by other people, either after entering a spooky office where one or more managers are seated behind desks or over an equally tense Zoom call.

You might soon be interviewed for the job you actually want, though, thanks to developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR) technology. using a computer.

Students at Sandwell College in West Bromwich put on virtual reality headsets earlier this year to practice for interviews.

Another talking avatar that represented the AI software system put their avatars—cartoon-like, 3D versions of themselves—through their paces. 

Ayyan Ahmed, an engineering student, claims, "I'd never had an interview before in my life." I could genuinely express myself, though, because no one was looking over my shoulder and everything was done online.

At the end of the process, the VR interviewer told me what I did wrong and what I did right. "Knowing what to do at my next interview was a huge assistance." 

The Bodyswaps VR equipment the students were using is manufactured in London.

The interviewers are asked a variety of questions and requests, ranging from the simple "tell me about your greatest achievements" to the more difficult "Would you rather be feared or loved?"

The user then receives feedback on not only what they said but also how they said it, including their posture and if they were keeping eye contact with the interviewer avatar. 

The goal, according to Christophe Mallet, chief executive of Bodyswaps, is for people to continue practicing with the mock interviews until they feel prepared for a genuine one.

He thinks that technology has the potential to level the playing field for candidates from less affluent backgrounds who might not otherwise have the chance to practice for job interviews in a professional atmosphere.

"The keys to success [in interviews] are things like communication, empathy, and leadership, but how do you practice those? You can hire a coach if you have the money. The alternative is e-learning, which doesn't work since it doesn't provide immersion [like seeing movies on the subject].

The researcher says we now have a technique to safely immerse you in a simulation where you may practice interview conversations using VR and AI, says the researcher.

Bodyswaps says it primarily targets schools, colleges, and universities with its interview simulations so that their students can practice before they reach the job market. Bodyswaps debuted its simulations last year. Under its subscription-based business model, the amount an institution must spend each year is based on how many people use it.

Swedish company Tengai's AI technology already lets businesses in the real world get a computer to handle their first job interviews. Bodyswaps, on the other hand, focuses on making fake job interviews.

On the candidate's computer or smartphone screen, the AI program appears as a talking cartoon head. It asks a set of predetermined questions, and the answers are then used to help recruiters make short lists of candidates for jobs.

Elin Berg Mrtenzon, CEO of Tengai, claims that a key goal of the software is to prevent people from forming false assumptions, such as assessing someone based just on appearance.

By placing some form of filter between the applicant and the recruiter, "We wanted to create a situation where you could actually look at objective facts instead," the expert explains.

"And that filter is designed to lessen bias in the process... so they know they are not being rated by items other than those pertaining to the job description," the author continues.

Susan Thompson, an employment lawyer, says that it may be tempting to think that AI and VR technologies can magically help us pick the best candidate for a job.

The partner at the London legal firm Simkins claims that "AI doesn't eliminate risk, and it's not without risk itself." So, I think that's the most important thing for employers to think about.

"We must keep in mind that artificial intelligence was first developed by a human. Do you understand it, and to what extent have you spoken with the developer about what data points it uses? This is what I would first and foremost ask any employer who considers adopting it, whether at the interview stage or even at the exit stage.

"And, has it undergone stress testing to remove bias? Does it remove gender bias? If so, how? "

"I would be reluctant to advocate that AI be utilized completely in the interview process. I think there should be some form of human intervention there, "Ms. Thompson continues.