Why is AI suddenly the biggest threat for companies using online assessment platforms
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been a transformative force in recent years, revolutionizing numerous industries and redefining technological boundaries. From enhancing computer vision applications to advancing data science, AI's impact is both profound and far-reaching.
An often-overlooked effect is how certain branches of AI, such as generative AI, are impacting company hiring processes, particularly those that utilize pre-employment assessments or skill tests. AI's influence on these assessments is pivotal as it can significantly disrupt hiring processes by enabling candidates to manipulate the perceptions of hiring teams. A notable example is the use of generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, by candidates to cheat on assessments. This is no longer about simply searching for answers online; it involves sophisticated tools capable of interpreting and solving complex test problems in real time.
Historical Context of Assessment Cheating
Historically, cheating on assessments was not a significant issue due to the complexity of successfully managing it. Cheating on such tests was primarily hindered by three main factors:
- Bypassing the anti-cheating protocols: The difficulty of circumventing the anti-cheating measures implemented by assessment platforms to enable test-taking on your own terms.
- Time Constraints: Even if you found a way to search for the question online, it would take too much time to find an answer specific to your question.
- Accuracy of the Proposed Answers: If the test was not copied directly from existing resources online, obtaining correct answers was highly unlikely.
However, with the advent of large language models, these complexities can no longer deter candidates from cheating on assessments. Let's address the second and third points first.
How AI Overcomes Traditional Barriers
Time Constraints
Generative AI, such as ChatGPT, manages the second point effectively. They process data at an incredible speed. For instance, LinkedIn certifications have implemented a basic anti-cheating protocol that blocks the direct copying of questions and answers. Attempting to bypass this through the HTML code of the page results in encountering obfuscated code intended to deter cheating. However, ChatGPT efficiently parses through the clutter in less than five seconds, extracting questions and providing answers without needing any additional context. This demonstrates the alarming capability of generative AI to quickly address any type of query.
Accuracy of the Proposed Answers
Another area where generative AI excels. ChatGPT can accurately respond to a wide range of questions—from cognitive aptitude tests to coding challenges and domain-specific queries.
Circumventing Anti-Cheating Protocols
This brings us to the first point, circumventing the anti-cheating protocols. Generative AI's efficiency in terms of time and accuracy makes it a viable option for candidates to exploit in online assessments. As this accuracy is likely to improve, platforms must enhance their protocols and consider these developments.
"AI tools can now beat over 90% of candidates on standard assessment platforms, making traditional evaluation methods increasingly unreliable for identifying genuine talent."
From a survey of 550 working professionals from diverse professions and age groups, with varying degrees of familiarity with technology, 217 respondents acknowledged that they knew at least one method of how to circumvent the anti-cheating measures of online assessment platforms to artificially enhance their scores.
Our article on the vulnerability of assessment platforms further explores the issues of time constraints, the accuracy of ChatGPT in relation to online candidate assessments, and an overview of what the afore-mentioned results in.
The Way Forward
The increasing use of generative AI like ChatGPT in online testing poses significant challenges for hiring teams. As AI capabilities expand, so must the strategies to maintain the integrity of hiring processes. It is crucial for companies to reassess their hiring pipelines and seek expert advice now. Overlooking these changes can severely impact the outcomes of hiring processes, leading to failures that affect the entire company.
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