Back in the day, some kind of online sticker company needed a developer. I submitted my resume and they told me via email I needed to pass an online test. The testing was very similar to your company, only of course no AI. I was nervous. Super nervous. Shaking. Psyched myself up for an entire day, then logged in and absolutely crushed it. Crushed that test. It was hard but easier than I expected. Passed 100%. The sticker company then emailed me that they chose someone else, somebody else had a better resume, even though there was no interview. The test was cheap for them, but cost me. So cheap for this sticker company that they could afford to consider my resume only after I had crushed their dumb-ass test.
There needs to be some cost or pain for the interviewers to signal that they actually care.
So, to answer your question, if a company were to outsource their screening calls, it signals to me that they do not have the time to understand their candidates. They simply do not care, which means they don't care for their employees either.
To your other replies, again, this is a screening interview. It aims to assess, in a short time, how you approach a day to day coding problem. It's not about specialised technical requirements - for that you jump on a dedicated technical call. Niju is supposed to sit at the beginning of the technical assessment process.
Sure. You don't have to convince me. I mean, go for it. We're just telling you why we would exit the process immediately as candidates. As an employer, I would take the time to screen someone directly.
Again I want to make it clear that the AI is not driving any decisions, it just summarizes some data points.
The technical screening call typically happens after an initial screening chat with HR or the hiring manager. The tech screening interview comes in after that.
I tell you, this is not a new idea. The only new bit is that AI is slapped on, but it's been done. There is a reason it's not widespread practice. Be honest with yourself: if a company gave you a contract and they decided to do it like the sticker company, test first then check the resume, you would still take their money.
Also, every company has its own unique need. Are you going to tailor your test for every company? Some will need fast JavaScript, some will need slow, deliberate FP. No single test will cover all of these needs. A serious company would never outsource their initial contact to AI.