Article: Friday, 27 June 2025
People change the way they present themselves if they know they’ll be assessed by artificial intelligence (AI) rather than a human HR officer or recruiter. They will try to appear more analytical and less intuitive because they believe that this is what AI values most. These novel insights come from research carried out by Dr Anne-Kathrin Klesse, Associate Professor of Consumer Behavior and Technology at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM). What comes out of the research is that organisations must carefully design and communicate AI assessment tools to avoid unintentional biases. The paper from Dr Klesse and co-researchers PhD candidate Jonas Görgen and Dr Emanuel de Bellis at the Institute of Behavioral Science and Technology at the University of St. Gallen, AI assessment changes human behavior has been published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Anne-Kathrin Klesse is Associate Professor of Consumer Behavior and Technology at RSM and Director of the Psychology of AI lab at the Erasmus Centre for Data Analytics at Erasmus University (ECDA).
The researchers found that when applicants for a job position believe they are being assessed by AI, they highlight their analytical capabilities and downplay more intuitive or emotional qualities. This occurs because they believe that analytical capabilities score better in AI assessments.
“The finding that people strategically highlight certain capabilities or characteristics implies that candidates present a skewed picture of who they really are,” said Dr Klesse. Simulating a job selection process, the researchers document that this can have consequences for who gets selected – or rejected – for a position. “If your organisation uses AI in hiring, promotion, or evaluation, you should be aware that these tools do more than just change the process. They may also influence who gets the job or who is awarded a place to study.”
To avoid candidates feeling pressured to present an adjusted impression of themselves, Dr Klesse suggests to:
Be transparent about your use of AI and the criteria it employs when assessing candidates
Audit your AI assessment systems regularly for behavioural distortions. Have you noticed that the kind of people selected by your AI appear to have changed their behaviour? You may be creating a narrower talent pool and an unintended bias in your selection process.
Inform your recruitment or hiring or admissions teams that candidates may change their behaviour when they know that they are assessed by AI. This awareness can help ensure you don’t miss out on great candidates who might present themselves differently under AI-based evaluation.
The researchers conducted 12 studies with over 13,000 participants using different populations and study paradigms. They looked at how people behaved (or said they would behave) when they were assessed by AI compared with a human assessor in real and simulated assessment settings. They also collaborated with a Rotterdam-based start-up that offers competency-based and fair hiring software that doesn’t use AI. The start-up surveyed applicants after they completed the application process, and the results indicate that candidates indicated to have changed their behaviour if they thought they were assessed by AI.
The researchers’ findings have broader implications as AI becomes more involved in decisions about people’s lives and futures. “A lot of attention is paid to AI’s capabilities and how to improve the underlying algorithms. It is vital to understand the human side of the equation. Using AI assessment tools does not only improve efficiency or help organisations to cut costs. It changes people’s behaviour. Understanding these subtle behavioural changes is essential to fully grasp the consequences of outsourcing assessment to AI.”
Read the full paper, AI assessment changes human behavior in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Rotterdam School of Management (RSM)
University of St. Gallen
University of St. Gallen
You can read the full paper, including the outline of what this means for technology companies in Mapping ethical concerns in algorithm-driven period and fertility tracking technologies.
Science Communication and Media Officer
Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) is one of Europe’s top-ranked business schools. RSM provides ground-breaking research and education furthering excellence in all aspects of management and is based in the international port city of Rotterdam – a vital nexus of business, logistics and trade. RSM’s primary focus is on developing business leaders with international careers who can become a force for positive change by carrying their innovative mindset into a sustainable future. Our first-class range of bachelor, master, MBA, PhD and executive programmes encourage them to become to become critical, creative, caring and collaborative thinkers and doers.
