AI CVs vs AI ATS: Are Companies Really Hiring the Best Talent?

Artificial Intelligence is now embedded on both sides of the recruitment process. Candidates are using AI to write CVs at scale, while employers are relying on AI-powered Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to filter, rank, and reject applications before a human ever sees them.

On paper, this sounds efficient. In reality, it’s creating a quiet arms race and not necessarily producing better hires.

At Raice.AI Recruitment, we’re seeing the impact first-hand.

The Rise of the AI-Written CV

AI tools can now generate highly polished CVs in minutes. They optimise for keywords, mimic professional language, and tailor content to job descriptions with impressive accuracy. For candidates, especially those unfamiliar with corporate recruitment language, this can feel like a leveler. But there’s a downside.

Many AI-generated CVs:

• Look professional but lack substance

• Overstate experience or blur responsibilities

• Use generic phrasing that sounds impressive but says very little

The barrier to applying has never been lower which leads to a new challenge for employers.

More CVs Doesn’t Mean Better Candidates

AI hasn’t just improved CV quality it has massively increased CV volume.

Roles that once attracted 50 applications now receive 300+.Roles that received 300 now receive 1,000+.

On the surface, this looks positive. In reality, it creates more work, not less.

Hiring managers and internal teams are faced with:

• Larger shortlists that still require manual review

• Increased time spent validating exaggerated or misaligned CVs

• Greater risk of missing strong candidates buried in the noise

AI ATS systems help manage volume but they don’t solve the underlying issue: too many similar-looking CVs competing for attention.

How AI ATS Systems Actually Work

Most modern ATS platforms use AI to:

• Scan for keywords and job-specific terminology

• Rank candidates based on perceived relevance

• Filter out CVs that don’t meet predefined criteria

They are not “thinking” systems. They do not understand nuance, motivation, or potential. They match patterns.

This means an AI-written CV designed specifically to match patterns often performs exceptionally well in an AI ATS. Not because the candidate is the best fit. But because the CV is optimised to beat the system.

The Problem: AI Is Selecting for AI

When AI CVs are evaluated by AI ATS systems, recruitment becomes less about talent and more about technical optimisation.

This creates several risks:

1. Strong Candidates Are Being Missed

Candidates with genuine experience but less “polished” CVs, career changers, neurodiverse applicants, international talent are filtered out early.

2. Time-to-Hire Increases

More CVs mean more screening, more interviews, more back-and-forth stretching internal teams and delaying hires.

3. Hiring Decisions Become Less Human

Soft skills, adaptability, and cultural fit are rarely captured by keyword-based systems.

The result? Companies think they are hiring the best talent but often they are hiring the best-formatted talent.

Why Recruitment Agencies Matter More Than Ever

In an AI-driven recruitment market, the value of a recruitment agency isn’t access to CVs it’s judgement.

A good recruitment partner:

• Filters before CVs hit your desk

• Validates experience beyond written claims

• Challenges surface-level matches

• Saves internal teams hours of screening and re-screening

Rather than reviewing hundreds of AI-generated CVs, hiring managers receive a short, relevant, human-vetted shortlist.

At Raice.AI Recruitment, we use AI to enhance efficiency but rely on experienced recruiters to make decisions that technology can’t.

The result:

• Fewer CVs

• Less internal workload

• Better-aligned hires

What Employers Should Be Asking Themselves

• Are we actually saving time by reviewing more applications?

• Are we filtering for capability or keyword density?

• How much internal resource is spent validating CVs?

• Are we comfortable leaving early-stage hiring decisions entirely to automation?

AI should reduce noise not create more of it.

What Candidates Should Understand

Using AI to improve your CV isn’t inherently wrong. But it should:

• Reflect real experience

• Sound like you, not a template

• Support your story, not replace it

The strongest candidates combine AI efficiency with authenticity.

The Future of Recruitment Isn’t AI vs Humans

It’s AI with humans.

Companies that rely solely on automated systems risk:

• Longer hiring cycles

• Misaligned hires

• Increased internal workload

Those that combine intelligent technology with expert recruitment partners will continue to hire effectively even as the market becomes noisier.

At Raice.AI Recruitment, we believe the goal isn’t to process more CVs.

It’s to hire the right people.