Each week, as SHRM’s executive in residence for AI+HI, I scour the media landscape to bring you expert summaries of the biggest AI headlines — and what they mean for you and your business.
1. AI Breakthroughs
This was a big week for breakthroughs. While these are not quite related to HR, they are important for us, as humans, to understand:
Microsoft unveiled Majorana 1, the world’s first quantum chip powered by a revolutionary Topological Core architecture. This breakthrough could bring us quantum computers capable of solving industrial-scale problems in years, not decades.
Clone Robotics introduced Protoclone, the world’s first bipedal, musculoskeletal, anatomically accurate synthetic human. With over 200 degrees of freedom, 1,000 myofibers, and 500 sensors, it’s a stunning step toward humanlike robotics.
Google Research revealed its AI co-scientist, a virtual scientific collaborator designed to help researchers generate novel hypotheses, draft research proposals, and fast-track scientific and biomedical discoveries.
2. How to Get Hired When AI Does the Screening
What to Know:
Artificial intelligence is tranforming hiring, with 83% of businesses using AI-powered resume screening and many conducting AI-assisted interviews. Applicant tracking systems rank candidates based on keyword matches, meaning resumes lacking key terms may never be seen by a human recruiter.
AI is also being used for video interviews, during which it assesses responses and even body language. Despite this automation, AI-detected resumes and cover letters are often deprioritized, making human-written applications more competitive.
Why It Matters:
HR must balance efficiency with fairness, ensuring AI doesn’t unintentionally exclude qualified candidates. As AI plays a larger role in recruitment, HR leaders should audit AI-driven hiring tools for bias, transparency, and effectiveness. Companies must also educate job seekers on adapting to AI hiring processes while maintaining human oversight to prevent overreliance on automation.
3. Mercor Raises $100M to Disrupt AI-Powered Hiring
What to Know:
Mercor, an AI-driven recruiting startup, raised $100 million at a $2 billion valuation. Founded in 2023 by three Thiel fellows, the platform automates resume screening, candidate matching, and AI-powered interviewing. It has helped employers evaluate 468,000 applicants across industries, with a growing focus on hiring consultants, Ph.D.s, doctors, and lawyers. Companies like OpenAI use Mercor’s system, which claims to reduce hiring bias and improve efficiency.
Why It Matters:
The future belongs to companies that not only use AI but also build systems that learn.
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