AI in Hiring: Why Entry-Level Job Seekers Are Left in the Dark

The job market is in a dire state. Hiring has dropped to levels as low as mid-pandemic rates, with 26 percent of unemployed workers searching for a job for over six months or more. This "low-hire, low-fire" state leaves graduating college students uncertain about their next steps.

By the end of 2025, 83 percent of companies were using AI to screen applications, and 56 percent have expressed concerns about AI rejecting qualified candidates. Many companies have even admitted to using ghost job listings—positions that don't exist or they have no intention of filling—to build resume databases. A vast majority of applications will never be seen by human eyes.

With recession odds climbing and cost of living increasingly unaffordable, young people face being left entirely out of the market equation. Students fear for the future of hiring across various fields.

"AI being used by both hiring management and applicants just becomes bots talking to each other," said one university student. "You're punished for being creative or different or anything human."

It's not just AI in hiring that concerns—AI is warping entire fields. In journalism, AI threatens jobs and may lead to inaccuracies due to information "hallucinations," lost ethical judgment, and lower standards.

"I work in media, written and digital," said Zander Sutton, a Media Communications student. "I've watched my industry shrink because some publications have switched to AI-enhanced articles. I've seen people go from full time to contract to freelance roles. Positions are being cut, management keeps more money, and the quality of written articles gets lower and lower."

Websites use the same phrases repeatedly, often not fitting the style, and feel forced. As quality declines, readers who care about content may leave the website altogether.

It's a double-edged sword: as meaningful work by real people is devalued and entry into the market becomes more reliant on AI navigation, more low-quality work is created, and less work supports combating this depletion.

A critical, even dystopian, picture is painted. When AI is used in hiring, young people with valuable perspectives, qualifications, and potential for meaningful contribution are disqualified without consideration, jeopardizing future quality.

The time saved by AI-powered hiring is not worth the loss of qualified candidates. When companies use AI for operations, publications, or production—especially in fields requiring human perspective like journalism, arts, communications, and media—they trade out both quality and integrity.