Rep. Barbara Hernandez Fights for Responsible Use of New Technology, Fair Hiring Practices

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A new law backed by state Rep. Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, is governing the growth and use of artificial intelligence in job interviews by requiring prior warning for applicants before their personal data is compiled by an A.I.-powered program.

“Employers are using artificial intelligence programs to screen their candidates’ body language, facial patterns and even word choice, and the people being evaluated deserve to know beforehand about such extensive data gathering,” Hernandez said. “Due to the rapid growth in power and complexity of what computers are capable of doing with personal information, our data, especially subtle details of how we speak and behave, is something to carefully protect.”

In a push for more responsible use of personal information, Hernandez backed the Artificial Intelligence Video Interview Act, which mandates that companies notify video interview candidates if an artificial intelligence program will analyze their behavior, and obtain consent before doing so. While this practice is still relatively new, it is growing rapidly. A 2019 Forbes survey on the introduction of artificial intelligence in human resources services found that more than a third of major companies plan to fully integrate artificial intelligence into their hiring process by 2025. This law went into effect Jan. 1 of this year.

“Everyone deserves to be able keep their personal information private if they want to,” Hernandez said. “Companies that have computers scanning applicants’ every move in video interviews without telling them are stealing key personal details from unsuspecting people. This law is about maintaining the ability to choose what happens to your information, which is critical to privacy and fairness as technology continues to progress.”