AI tools are now commonly used in recruitment, but skepticism among candidates is rising. According to a new Dice report, 68% of tech professionals do not trust AI-driven hiring systems, while 80% express confidence in human-led approaches.
Nearly 30% of respondents are considering leaving the tech industry entirely due to frustrations with AI-enhanced recruitment, with women reporting this sentiment at a disproportionately higher rate, according to the Dice report.
In an email interview with TechRepublic, Dice CEO Art Zeile said that, while AI has improved efficiency for hiring teams, the 68% figure is “not a small margin — it’s a signal that the system is fundamentally broken from the candidate’s perspective.” He added that the finding about 30% of tech workers exiting the industry is particularly alarming.
The root cause of this mistrust, Zeile said, lies in the way AI is being deployed, especially in systems lacking transparency and human oversight.
“Candidates are telling us loud and clear that when hiring processes feel like a black box, trust disappears,” Zeile said. “Employers may be making their operations more efficient, but if that comes at the cost of alienating top talent, then we’re creating a lose-lose scenario for the entire industry.”
What’s causing the trust issues
The problem is not the use of AI itself but the “lack of transparency” into how hiring decisions are made, according to Zeile.
“Most candidates don’t know what happens after they hit ‘submit’ on a job application,” Zeile noted. “They don’t know if their resume was seen by a human or filtered out by a machine. That uncertainty breeds distrust, especially when people feel like they’re being judged by criteria they can’t see or influence.”
The Dice report found that an overwhelming 92% of tech professionals believe qualified candidates are being overlooked because AI tools are biased toward keyword optimization. Zeile said, “It reveals a perception that the system values conformity over capability.”
To get hired, 78% feel that current hiring practices are pressuring them to exaggerate their qualifications, while 65% have already modified their resumes to better align with AI screening filters.
Humans still needed in the recruitment process
Zeile stressed that the Dice report underscores that AI isn’t the enemy; rather, the study is a call for more thoughtful integration.
“Tech professionals aren’t rejecting innovation, but instead, they’re asking for processes that feel fair, human, and transparent,’’ he said. “The solution isn’t to abandon AI but to apply it more responsibly. Hybrid hiring models where AI is used to support, not replace, human decision-making earned 3X the trust of fully automated approaches.”
The research was based on a Dice survey of 212 US-based tech professionals conducted in June and July 2025.
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