At aTalent, we are pioneers in the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in recruitment. We utilize AI as a support tool to enhance our internal processes, but we ensure that final decisions are always made by humans. We strictly comply with the EU’s AI Act and operate transparently, guaranteeing that our recruitment practices are fair, non-discriminatory, and safe. Responsible use of AI begins with people – that’s why we invest in our employees’ skills and understanding of AI to develop the working world in a sustainable and human-centric way.
AI as Part of aTalent’s Evolving Organizational Culture
Owned by Aalto University’s student and alumni organizations, aTalent is a modern recruitment and HR company whose organizational culture is based on innovation and adaptability. As advocates for a better working life, we embrace new technologies, such as AI, and offer our employees opportunities to develop their skills. For us, it is crucial to promote efficiency and creativity with modern tools, but equally important to understand the responsible use of AI. Therefore, we have invested in developing our team's AI literacy and have trained them to use technology correctly—recognizing its limits and risks. This ensures that our expertise remains up-to-date in an ever-evolving technological environment.
The EU AI Act as a Guideline for Responsible Recruitment
The responsible use of AI is central to us, and we are committed to always protecting fundamental human rights. We strictly adhere to the EU AI Act, which came into force in 2024 and is being implemented gradually during the transition period. According to the regulation, AI systems used in recruitment may, under certain conditions, be classified as high-risk, but they are not automatically considered so. The risk level depends on how the system is used – systems making autonomous decisions are inherently riskier than solutions used purely as support tools. This is why we place special emphasis on ensuring that AI systems used in recruitment are responsible and meet stringent ethical and legal standards across all our operations.
Humans Make the Decisions – AI Is a Support Tool
AI is a valuable tool that supports our processes but does not replace human decision-making. Since December 2024, we have implemented AI solutions primarily to enhance internal processes, such as drafting job advertisements and other text materials, focusing especially on creating summaries and concise content. This frees up our experts' time to focus on the individual needs of candidates and clients.
It is important to note that aTalent does not use AI for candidate profiling, screening, or decision-making. All decisions, including interview invitations and selection processes, are always made by humans. Candidates applying through us do not interact with AI systems, ensuring a fair and non-discriminatory recruitment process.
Data Is Processed Only When Necessary – Ensuring Transparency
We are committed to being transparent about how AI is used in our processes. Candidates and clients are always given the opportunity to ask questions and understand how their data is processed. Regarding the handling of personal data, individuals have the right to request additional information about the process and its purpose. Our goal is to ensure that AI systems only process necessary and protected information. The use of identifiable personal data is minimized either by omitting it entirely or by processing it in a pseudonymized form. Moreover, we train our AI systems using the highest quality and most non-discriminatory data available to ensure fairness and ethics.
Since our AI solutions are primarily used to enhance internal processes, they mainly analyze anonymized or non-personal data. In exceptional cases where the use of AI requires the processing of personal data—such as first names or professional experience—we ensure that the data remains secure and is not used for further model training or shared outside the secure environment. AI acts solely as a support tool and is never used to make recruitment decisions.
Responsible AI Use Considers Environmental Impact
We acknowledge the environmental impact of AI, particularly its energy consumption and carbon footprint, and therefore avoid unnecessary use. Our AI solutions are carefully designed and implemented for clearly defined tasks, without overburdening the systems. We focus AI use on work phases where it reduces manual tasks and eliminates redundancies. We also optimize our solutions to avoid excessively lengthy or resource-consuming training processes. Thoughtfully designed AI solutions not only shorten work times and simplify processes but can also reduce overall environmental impact.
Recruitment Is More Than Technology – Human Interaction at the Core
With the help of AI, we improve the efficiency of our processes, allowing us to focus on providing candidates with personalized and fair experiences. Technology frees up time for what matters most – personal interaction – while keeping humans at the center of the process. This enables us to serve both clients and candidates reliably and equitably.
Our commitment to the responsible use of AI supports our mission of building a better working life, now and in the future.
The responsible use of AI means more to us than just regulatory compliance – it aligns with our core values. At aTalent, integrity, ingenuity, and continuous development guide the way we leverage technology. AI supports the recruitment process, but humans remain at the center of decision-making. We are committed to transparency, community, and responsibility to ensure that AI serves recruitment safely and sustainably.