Aussie woman slammed on social media for complaining about being rejected from a job because she used ChatGPT to apply

Sky News AU

4 days ago

A young Aussie woman has been slammed on social media for complaining she didn't get a job because she used ChatGPT to apply.
Alexandra Frisby-Smith, 30, is a creative systems and workflow consultant who recently applied for an ongoing part-time role that would result in an additional $20,000 per year.
The job applicant last week said her potential employer asked her to complete a trial task as part of the lengthy interview process.
Alexandra said she was required to streamline a list of tasks her potential employer needed to complete daily.
'I was brainstorming and thinking, 'Can I do it this way? Or that way', basically bending and stretching and working out what platforms would work best,' she told News.com.au.
'Once I worked out an overview, I popped that into ChatGPT, and it created a cohesive and beautiful way of representing my thoughts.'
However, the job hopeful subsequently took to TikTok to reveal she received a "rejection email" from the workplace shortly after completing the task, with one of the main reasons being the "heavy use of ChatGPT".
"First of all, if you know ChatGPT formatting and things, then you obviously use it as well yourself, so why are you shaming me," Alexandra said in a video.
"When are we going to stop shaming people who use ChatGPT because if you use it intelligently, (it) is the most efficient way of working ever."
"I'm proud to say I use it to its edges and see how capable it is, and every single time, it surprises me with what it can do for me."
The 30-year-old finished her argument by saying that as someone with ADHD, the use of AI for a job application "completely organises" her thoughts succinctly in a way that "makes sense to me and everyone".
"I don't understand why people are shaming ChatGPT users, like own it," she said.
Despite Alexandra's insistence that she was using the AI chatbot appropriately, viewers of her argument had a very different stance.
One person took to the comments to say she was playing the "victim card".
"Using it when you are applying to a job is not 'using it intelligently'," another person said.
"When are people going to realise that employers need to know your capabilities and not AI's capabilities!" a third person said.
One more person said the employer didn't hire Alexandra because it would make no sense to do so if her submission was AI-based.
"They could just use AI then. You need to be able to show you can function without it. It's a tool, not a crutch," the social media user said.
The debate comes as workplace experts warn about the rise of job applicants using AI to secure a role.
Laurie Chamberlin, head of LHH Recruitment Solutions in North America, last November said recruiters can easily spot the use of the popular tool, and it can just as easily turn their heads towards hiring a different candidate.
'A good recruiter can spot an AI-written application from a mile away,' Ms Chamberlin told HuffPost.
'It signals to me that the person may not know what they are talking about or how to blend AI-generated content with their own ideas."