The Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) has welcomed the publication of the Responsible AI in Recruitment Guidance, which incorporates the trade association’s own advice and insights. Published by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), the guidelines outline;
- The core areas firms need to consider when using AI in recruitment
- What assurance mechanisms need to be put in place based on Government AI regulatory principles
- Examples of evidence suppliers need to present to build trust in systems
- An outline of the key risks of AI in recruitment based on use cases
This DSIT guidance highlights the relevance and applicability of existing law to new AI technology, in particular data protection and equality laws. The ICO recently consulted on its new draft guidance on data and recruitment, and already has extensive guidance on AI for UK businesses to consider.
“Having worked closely with the DSIT to develop the guidance, we are pleased to see the information now publicised,” said Tania Bowers, global public policy director at APSCo. “Artificial Intelligence has significant potential in the staffing sector, as our recent AI Decoded event demonstrated. However, as with any new tools, there are inherent risks that must be mitigated against, and clear guidance such as this has a crucial role to play.
“This is particularly timely given the vote earlier this month in favour of the EU AI Act. While there will be an implementation period, this new regulation will impact any recruiters with operations in or who provide services into the EU,” Bowers said.
“There are a number of principles that staffing companies must guarantee they are following so that they aren’t exposing their business to potentially discriminatory systems or inadvertently implementing AI that doesn’t follow the required functions or intentions that these tools should be used for.”
Bowers added the guidelines have been develop to inform staffing firms and aren’t written into law. “In order to support our members as they navigate the complex AI landscape, we are producing a ten-step plan which provides recruitment firms a roadmap to follow so that they are compliantly implementing new tools into their solutions,” she said.
