Facial recognition technology allows us to pay for lunch, unlock a phone — it can even get us arrested. Now, that technology is moving on: algorithms are not only learning to recognise who we are, but also what we feel.
So-called emotion recognition technology is in its infancy. But artificial intelligence companies claim it has the power to transform recruitment.
Their algorithms, they say, can decipher how enthusiastic, bored or honest a job applicant may be — and help employers weed out candidates with undesirable characteristics. Employers, including Unilever, are already beginning to use the technology.
London-based Human, founded in 2016, is a start-up that analyses video-based job applications. The company claims it can spot the emotional expressions of prospective candidates and match them with personality traits — information its algorithms collect by deciphering subliminal facial expressions when the applicant answers questions.
Human sends a report to the recruiter detailing candidates’ emotional reactions to each interview question, with scores against characteristics that specify how “honest” or “passionate” an applicant is.
“If [the recruiter] says, ‘We are looking for the most curious candidate,’ they can find that person by comparing the candidates’ scores,” says Yi Xu, Human’s founder and chief executive.