Generative AI: A Game Changer for Recruitment? The Case of Southeast Asia

The Upside of AI: Everyday Support for HR Teams

Across Southeast Asia, each country advances at its own pace when adopting new technologies  but AI is now part of every HR conversation.

For recruitment teams, one of the main challenges is compliance with local legislation. In Singapore, for example, authorities have introduced a strict framework regulating AI use in recruitment. AI tools are permitted  but only under specific conditions and with clear limitations.

Even though recruiters may receive thousands of applications per month, they cannot rely on AI alone to shortlist candidates. Each application must be reviewed individually, and every applicant deserves a personalized response.

That said, AI copilots have become valuable allies for recruiters. They can help:

• take notes during interviews or video calls,
• generate transcripts from recordings,
• and summarize candidate profiles efficiently.

While many tasks remain manual, AI significantly improves efficiency and focus, allowing HR teams to spend more time on what truly matters, human interaction.

The Downside: When AI Rewrites the Rules

This technological acceleration also brings new and sometimes unexpected challenges.

Unlike recruiters, candidates face no legal restrictions when using AI. Some even use it during live interviews, letting a chatbot answer questions in real time.

“We’ve had a few surprises,” says Dipanti. “During a recent hiring process in the Philippines, several applicants looked perfect on paper. But during the interviews, we realized they weren’t locals at all  they were Chinese nationals pretending to be Filipino, without speaking the language.”

Such incidents reveal how AI can blur authenticity. Candidates also frequently use AI to polish their résumés or match job descriptions too perfectly. As a result, recruiters must sometimes involve technical teams to verify real skills.

With tools like Deep Search, ChatGPT, or Gemini, the risk of manipulation grows  even to the point where visual identity can be altered in live video calls.
In a people-focused industry like consulting, due diligence is more crucial than ever to avoid mismatches or fraud.

Why Candidates Turn to AI in a Hypercompetitive Market

AI also reflects the increasing pressure candidates face in today’s global job market.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work has erased borders  a developer based in India can now apply for a position in Australia. This globalisation of work intensifies competition, especially for junior and early-career profiles.

While senior experts still benefit from their reputation and experience, younger candidates feel the need to stand out  sometimes by any means necessary.

A New Reality for Recruitment Processes

Ironically, the rise of AI is pushing recruiters to return to more traditional methods  what Dipanti calls a “slightly old-school comeback.”

Phone interviews (outside of WhatsApp), in-person meetings, and on-site interviews are making a strong return as reliable ways to validate impressions and skills.

Online technical tests, once praised for convenience, are now losing credibility. Copy-pasting answers from ChatGPT, Copilot, or Gemini has become too easy.
To maintain fairness, recruiters now ask candidates to complete tests live, share their screens, or record sessions when remote participation is necessary.