So… what do I think?

Are agentic AIs going to replace regular recruiters or HR folks in their roles?

Let’s just be brutally honest. Yeah, some people will be replaced. Or at the very least, parts of their job will be carved out and automated away. If you're wondering what jobs will AI replace first, the early signs are already here, and recruiting is high on that list.

Where AI Is Already Taking Over

Let’s start with the obvious one: resume screening.

If your job is to sit and go through piles of resumes, looking for specific keywords or experiences, that part is already on shaky ground. Historically, this required someone who could read, understand language, and apply hiring criteria consistently.

But now? LLMs (large language models) can do that. Not just read, they can comprehend. You give them a set of rules, and they’ll parse through resumes in bulk, apply the logic, and flag top candidates. No breaks, no bias, no “oops I missed that one.”

It’s not some vague future. This AI in hiring process is happening now.

Phone Screens Aren’t Safe Either

Here’s another one that’s going to shift fast: the first-round phone screen.

Let’s say you’re a recruiter who gets a list of screening questions from the hiring manager, hops on a call with the candidate, asks those questions, and jots down answers. Maybe you listen for tone, maybe you throw in a soft behavioral question.

All of that? Can be automated. In fact, it’s already being automated. Think of it like how customer service is changing: tier 1 queries are already being handled by conversational AI. Now that same shift is creeping into recruiting. AI recruiters are becoming real.

The AI doesn’t just ask the questions. It can record the tone, transcribe responses, even flag red flags. It’s not “fake human.” It’s structured pattern matching, and it’s often more consistent than a real human who’s tired or distracted.

Not Everything Is Getting Replaced — Yet

Now, just to be clear — not all recruiting roles are going away.

There are plenty of parts of this job that require real human nuance.

Like persuading a great candidate to choose your company over a competing offer. Or helping a hiring manager realize that their job description is actually not aligned with what they really want. Or sensing that something about this “perfect resume” just doesn’t feel right after a real conversation.

Those are judgment calls. And AI, as powerful as it is, isn’t making intuitive leaps. Not yet.

So the recruiters who survive - no, thrive - in this new world will be the ones who stop doing mechanical work and focus on strategic work. AI replacing jobs doesn’t mean every job—just the parts that are routine and scalable.

If Your Work Is Repetitive, You’re Replaceable

This is the blunt truth no one likes to say out loud. But it needs to be said.

If your day-to-day consists of structured, repeatable tasks like reading resumes, asking scripted questions, ticking off boxes then AI is replacing jobs like yours.

And honestly? It should. That kind of work is better done by systems that don’t get bored, don’t bring bias, and don’t forget what was said two weeks ago.

What’s left is higher-order work. Human work.

Final Thoughts

So no, AI isn’t going to wipe out all recruiters. But it will change what a “recruiter” looks like.

It’s not going to be AI versus humans.

It’ll be humans who use AI… and those who don’t.

The second group? They’re going to struggle.

But I strongly believe that the first group can thrive given the right tools. That’s what BotFriday is all about. Take a look!

Check out BotFriday.ai