‘Why hire you over a $29 AI tool?’: Singapore jobseeker seeks advice after interview

SINGAPORE: In recent times, multiple reports have emerged about AI displacing entry-level roles, which has caused alarming concern for those who have just entered the workforce. Having only just graduated, and with minimal experience or internships under their belt, it has been somewhat hard for them to get a foot in the door.

Recently, one jobseeker discovered that some employers are now testing candidates on a new question: what makes you more valuable than AI?

Sharing his “wild job interview experience” on the r/singaporefi subreddit, the jobseeker said the question came halfway through his first conversation with the hiring manager.

“Halfway through the first conversation, the hiring manager threw a massive curveball at me: ‘Why hire you over a $29 AI tool? I can pay $28.99 for an AI subscription and handle all our marketing jobs. Why do I need to hire you anymore?’”

Although the question caught him off guard, he managed to put together a passable response and made it through to the second round.

Still, he was concerned that the AI question could come up again. With a more senior manager conducting the next interview, he suspected that it could be presented in a much tougher way.

Worried that he might not be able to give a convincing enough answer to secure a spot in the final round, he turned to the online community for advice.

“What is the absolute best way to answer this to protect my value, command a strong salary, and prove I'm a revenue-driving investment rather than an expense? How should I position myself to this second manager without sounding defensive? I want to nail this question.”

‘Throw the curveball back at them’

The post drew a range of responses, from cheeky one-liners to more serious advice on how candidates should position themselves against AI.

One user quipped, “Well, AI can't take the blame for you if anything goes wrong, but I can.”

Another commented, “If you thought the $29 AI tool could do this job, you wouldn’t be interviewing me.”

A third suggested that the job seeker should focus on the human role behind the technology.

 “AI tool can do the job, but you still need someone to manage it. Provide guardrails, improve it, and provide it with taste. It is good that the company asks that; it means they understand the value of the human being behind the tool, and the said human being needs to be of a certain variant.”

A fourth said they would return the question to the employers: “Throw the curveball back at them and ask why haven't they paid and hired the $28.99 AI subscription to do the role instead before answering how you can value add, etc.”

Some interviewers also joined in, explaining the logic behind why they chose to pose this question to the candidates.

“I've actually asked interviewees a similar question previously as a hiring manager. What I want to hear is the candidate being able to tell me, based on their understanding of the JD, what tasks/skills they can do that an AI tool can't,” one shared. “The fact is, AI is being used in the workplace, and will continue being used. If the candidate can't tell me the value that they bring over a $30/month AI tool, then that person is not the right candidate for the job.”/TISG

Read also: ‘Dear younger me’: SG jobseeker asks workers what advice they’d give their younger selves