Mandelblatt receiving her certificate in recognition of being named a Clevenger Scholar
Author: Alyse Mandelblatt | Major: Communication | Semester: Spring 2025
Artificial intelligence, or AI, has been a hallmark of the science fiction genre for decades, and recently it has become integrated into the real world. The weekend of April 5, 2025, I had the opportunity to share my research into the application of AI to the process of candidate screening in the employee hiring process at the 95th annual Southern States Communication Association (SSCA) Convention.
My paper, Getting past the machines: Artificial intelligence in employee hiring, was one of four papers presented a part of an undergraduate honors conference panel titled “The Future of Communication and AI.”
AI RESEARCH FROM COMMUNICATION PERSPECTIVE
I initially wrote the paper I presented at SSCA for a final project in my communication special topics course on Human Machine Communication. My professor, Dr. Dehnert, who I have started conducting research under in the ARC Lab, encouraged me to expand and refine my paper for submission.
The paper is a critical examination of the use of AI in the review of first round job applicants.
One problem with employing AI in resume review or any other types of review of potential employees is the lack of diverse training data. The ability of AI systems to produce accurate results hinges entirely on the robustness of the data on which they are trained. This makes it difficult for AI to actually increase diversity at companies which is a stated purpose of using automated systems.
As employee hiring is a communication heavy process – and the automation is not meant to replace recruiter and human resource jobs – AI implementation should be viewed through the lens of Human Centered Artificial Intelligence, a subset of the emerging field of Human Machine Communication. My research demonstrate that just as there are important nuances to the human communication process which play into the hiring process, there are nuances to automation levels and ethics.
This is why my findings advocate for designing AI systems for the hiring process around a process called human-in-the-loop. Human-in-the-loop prioritizes keeping some human participation in the automation process. My research led to me advocating for this system since focusing on smaller, more well-defined steps helps ensure better accuracy in automated processes.
THE WEEKEND IN NORFOLK
The opportunity to network with those in my field from across the southern region of the country was made possible through an Honor College Travel Research grant and an ingaugural High Impact Funding Opportunity (HIPO) grant from the Communication Department. I got a chance to talk with graduate programs about the structure and offerings at their school.
I attended a few other panels that were presented at the conference. One of these was a fellow undergraduate honors conference panels. The papers on this panel looked at the ethics of journalism and public media. It was interesting to hear what other students are researching and how they are contributing to the field of communication.
The other two panels I attended were focused on AI research. I was interested to see how faculty in my field are approaching the subject I have chosen to research. The first panel was a continuation of a panel from the year before, so the chair chose to format it as more of a round table. I got to hear the practical insights from those studying and applying communication in public relations. I also got to contribute my own thoughts as a student which gave me another opportunity to talk about my research in a less structured enviroment. The last panel I attended was a formal presentation of AI within the context of interpersonal communication.
Overall, the convention gave me an opportunity to contextualize knowledge I have been learning this semester in Science Communication, a honors forum taught by Andy Albertson, Director of Research and Economic Development Communication. This experience gave me the opportunity to apply the ideas of tailoring the “reading comprehension” level of my research and to critically evaluate the most important parts of my research so that it can be presented in the alotted time and still make sense to the audience.
While the experience was very beneficial in preparing me for my thesis research and defense which will be taking place in about a year, it was also a great opportunity to cross a weekend trip off my college bucket list. When I wasn’t presenting or attending other panels about how AI is impacting the communication field, I got to explore Norfolk, Virginia, the mermaid city, where the convention took place.
I plan to continue research in the field of Human Machine Communication through the completion of my Bachelor’s degree at University of Arkansas. In working under Dr. Dehnert, I am currently in the early stages of an undergraduate thesis that will continue to explore how AI technology is impacting human communication. I hope this course of study will prepare me to pursue a law career focusing on how media and technology law have converged with the emergence of generative AI.