Unemployed Britons are to be given access to a government-backed AI chatbot to help them apply for jobs — but employers fear the scheme could trigger a flood of irrelevant applications.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology will next week invite AI firms to develop an “agent” capable of filling in forms, completing job applications and registering patients at doctors’ surgeries. Ministers say the “AI helper”, due to be operational in 2027, will cut down on life admin and modernise public services.
The move comes against a backdrop of rising joblessness. Official figures this week showed that 3.7 million people are now claiming Universal Credit without any work requirements, more than a million higher than before Labour came to power. At the same time, entry-level roles have declined, intensifying competition for available jobs.
Unlike existing chatbots such as ChatGPT, the planned government tool will be designed to carry out tasks such as booking flights, updating driving licence addresses or registering to vote. Officials said the aim was to “save people time and modernise the state”.
However, recruiters have raised concerns that such technology will encourage mass applications without scrutiny. A report by Totaljobs found nearly three-quarters of hiring managers say they are already overwhelmed by a wave of unsuitable CVs, many created using AI tools.
Claire McCartney of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development warned that “if candidates heavily rely on or misuse AI tools, it could mean that they’re unsuitable for the roles they’ve applied for”. One in four firms is already attempting to monitor or restrict AI use in applications.
Neil Carberry, chief executive of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, said: “If you are advertising a job you will get hundreds more CVs than a few years ago and a large number will demonstrate they haven’t really thought about the job. They have done 50 applications in a couple of days where previously they’d have done 10 good ones.”
The debate comes as employment levels have fallen by 164,000 since last autumn’s Budget. Some economists have blamed the decline on higher employment costs, particularly the rise in National Insurance contributions.
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle defended the scheme, arguing it could make the UK the “first country in the world to use AI agents at scale”. He said: “Using agentic AI to its full potential, we could provide a level of service to citizens across the country that was previously unimaginable — helping people to find better career opportunities, avoid wasting their time on government admin and more.”
The government insists the AI helper will be optional. But with employers already struggling to sift through applications, the fear is that the system will add to the deluge rather than improve job-matching.
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AI ‘helper’ for jobseekers sparks fears of surge in junk applications
