What Now? with Trevor Noah Hilke Schellmann: Is Your New Boss a Robot?
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Feb 26, 2026 Hilke Schellmann, an investigative journalist who studies AI in hiring and workplaces, explores how algorithmic tools shape recruitment and on-the-job surveillance. She discusses facial and voice scanning claims, one-way video interviews, automated resume sorting, productivity trackers, and who really benefits from workplace AI. The conversation highlights bias, opaque systems, and calls for transparency and worker rights.
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How A Lyft Story Sparked An Investigation
- Hilke Schellmann tracks AI in hiring because she saw early examples like a Lyft driver interviewed by a robot in 2017 and realized vendors were quietly embedding AI across HR.
- That initial curiosity led her investigative work into video interviews, emotion scanning, and vendor practices that most companies never scrutinize.
AI Handles The First Cut Of Massive Applicant Funnels
- Large employers use AI early to filter massive applicant funnels; Google gets millions and companies use resume screening, video interviews, and games to downselect.
- One-way video interviews record applicants answering prompts and increasingly are auto-ranked by AI rather than humans.
Executives Know AI Misses Qualified Candidates
- C-suite leaders admit AI tools reject qualified candidates; a survey showed almost 90% believe their tools wrongly drop good applicants.
- Companies still use these tools because perceived efficiency and cost savings outweigh known accuracy problems.