A few days ago, I had my first live interview with an AI-powered tool for a UX Designer contract. The experience left me feeling unsettled, like I had just spoken for 20 minutes to a brick wall.

 

The interaction began with an automated invitation to a “live interview” session. I received this message:

Please note that this – 17-minute interview will be with an AI interviewer. You will answer each question by speaking out loud, so find a quiet spot and make sure your internet connection is stable.

 

The estimated time for the interview kept changing – initially five minutes, then seventeen, and eventually a warning to be prepared for a 45-minute session. No clear information was provided about what the interview session would involve.

What followed was a frustrating loop. Every time I unknowingly broke a rule – moving my screen, checking or closing a tab, adjusting the camera – the session would reset. I learned the hard way that the tool expected strict physical compliance. I wasn’t just being interviewed. I was being trained to perform for the AI.

Eventually, I reached the question stage. The prompts were fine – situational questions related to UX Design, Wireframing, and User Research. But then, mid-answer, the interview froze and sent me back to the beginning. Again.

 

The Structure Wasn’t the Problem

To be fair, the interview’s structure wasn’t bad. But the experience? Dehumanizing.

I’m an introvert, yes. But I still need to connect with someone. I froze. I panicked. I missed human feedback – the nod of understanding, a raised eyebrow, a smile, or even a follow-up question. I felt like I was being observed by a machine that didn’t understand me, or care to.

 

What Does This Mean for Us?

This interview style will improve, technically. I know that. But it raised an uncomfortable question in me:

Is this the future of interviewing? If so, what does that mean for people like me, who find comfort in human dialogue, even as introverts?

 

Maybe I’ll need to train myself, get used to speaking alone in front of a camera. But honestly, I hope we don’t lose what matters most in hiring: Connection. Conversation. Empathy.

In a world racing toward AI-driven everything, I still believe there’s room – and need – for human presence.