I Am Not a Robot: AI and Leadership Hiring - Part III
Watertight oversight: The role of Boards
In March 2025, an employee of software company Intuit claimed that its use of an automated video interview platform unfairly blocked her promotion. She blamed AI-driven biases related to her disability and race. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed charges on her behalf against Intuit and HireVue, the tech firm she said used AI in a discriminatory way. Both denied the accusation. Intuit stated that it provides reasonable accommodations to all applicants. HireVue denied that Intuit even used AI in this instance.1
Law firm Fisher Phillips say this emphasizes the need for organizations using AI hiring tools to conduct regular accessibility audits, review vendor agreements, train HR teams about possible AI biases and legal requirements, and allow for human review during an interview process. They should offer clear and simple pathways for applicants needing accommodations, monitoring and adjusting AI usage to address potential biases.
Given the stakes surrounding senior hires in particular, should boards be involved in guiding AI use in talent management strategy? Let’s recall the board’s core activities of Control (protecting shareholder wealth), and Service, helping the firm create value, aligning shareholder and societal interests.²
The Board and the Horizon
Why should boards be on top of AI integration in senior talent acquisition? How will AI evolve in executive hiring, and how can we responsibly harness it in a future where it may be hard to tell robots and humans apart?
The answer is clear. Even if boards should not directly interfere in executive operations, recruitment automation and talent intelligence platforms do belong on their agenda. “From a governance perspective, boards should be asking the CEO: what’s being done in the business, and does that pose a risk? And strategically, how can we streamline processes and get better hires? Not meddling, but making sure that the CEO is across that,” says Jamal Khan, Managing Partner of Amrop Carmichael Fisher in Australia. Despite a counter-shift under the current US administration, DE&I is being upheld in many markets. “Firms need to look at recruitment biases, and the risks attached.”
“Beyond recruitment, there's privacy, data protection, cybersecurity. We're seeing a massive uptick from chairs, nomination, governance and HR committees around reviewing the board’s skills matrix. A lot of demand for people with AI, cybersecurity, and digital transformation experience.”
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1 6 Key Takeaways From Claims Filed Against Hiring Technology Company. (March 27, 2025). Fisher Phillips.
2 Caluwe, L., et al. (2024). Board roles required for IT governance to become an integral component of corporate governance. International Journal of Accounting Information Systems 54 (2024) 100694
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