LinkedIn is testing a feature that lets hiring professionals hand the first round of interviews to an AI system. The tool, available in early testing for LinkedIn Hiring Pro users, enables recruiters to invite up to 40 applicants to complete an audio or video screening call conducted entirely by an AI interviewer.
The interview is generated based on the role’s qualifications. LinkedIn’s system recommends questions and ideal answers, which the recruiter can review and edit before sending invitations to candidates. Once an applicant completes the screening, the recruiter receives the full transcript, the audio or video recording, an AI-generated summary, and a five-point rating based on how closely the candidate’s responses align with the recruiter’s pre-set ideal answers.
LinkedIn says the recruiter retains full control over evaluation and all hiring decisions. Candidates can request access to their rating, transcript, or recording by contacting the hiring manager directly.
The feature is not without controversy. In a separate guidance note for candidates, LinkedIn advised users to be careful about disclosing sensitive personal information during AI interviews, particularly health data or disability-related details.
The platform noted that such information would be processed by LinkedIn on behalf of the recruiter and shared only with them, but added that the recruiter determines the legal basis for how that data is handled. The guidance raised questions about how well LinkedIn has thought through the privacy implications of AI-mediated interviews.
“If you need to disclose such data (for example, health data related to an accommodation request), we recommend you provide only what is necessary,” LinkedIn said. “This information will be processed by LinkedIn on behalf of the hirer and shared only with the hirer. The hirer determines the lawful basis for processing for AI Interviews.”
Many large corporations are already using AI-powered screening tools to filter applicants before human recruiters get involved. LinkedIn is effectively building that capability directly into its platform rather than leaving it to third-party vendors.
Still, the feature represents a significant step in automating what has traditionally been a human-to-human interaction. For candidates, the experience of being evaluated and scored by an AI system before ever speaking with a person may feel impersonal. For recruiters dealing with hundreds of applications for a single role, the efficiency gains are obvious.
LinkedIn has been steadily integrating AI across its platform, from automated profile summaries and AI-generated posting prompts to application letter assistance. The AI interview tool pushes that trend into the most consequential area yet: determining which candidates advance in the hiring process and which do not.
