Appian CEO Matt Calkins has publicly stated that his company refuses to use AI to screen résumés, arguing that many organizations are misapplying the technology. Speaking with Business Insider during a recent dinner with reporters, Calkins criticized the trend of leveraging AI for initial hiring filters, calling it a misguided effort that risks overlooking exceptional talent. “We’re trying to be all modern and everything, but the reason I don’t like that is we’re trying to hire at a very elite level, and I think if we use AI, we’re going to start checkboxing,” Calkins said. He expressed concern that automated systems could overlook candidates with non-traditional backgrounds or unconventional career paths—people who might bring unique value but don’t fit neatly into algorithmic templates. Appian, a cloud computing and enterprise software company founded in 1999, has long prioritized human judgment in its hiring process. Calkins emphasized that the company’s mission has always been to identify “the magic in people” through direct engagement, not algorithmic scoring. “We were supposed to be better than that,” he said. “We were supposed to spot the magic in people when we read their résumés, and it didn't take AI to screen for, I don't know, did you do well in school or something?” While major tech firms like Google and Salesforce have said they use AI to help manage the volume of job applications, many still rely on human recruiters to make final decisions. Some job seekers, frustrated by the impersonal nature of automated systems, have even reverted to submitting paper résumés in hopes of standing out. Meanwhile, some hiring managers are returning to in-person interviews, seeking more authentic connections. Calkins also pointed to a broader issue: the lack of meaningful return on investment in generative AI. He cited an MIT study showing that 95% of companies have yet to see measurable benefits from their AI initiatives. “It’s incredible to see the technology of the century deployed so poorly,” he said. “It’s happening because we’re so ignorant about how to actually put AI to work.” He stressed that AI should be integrated into core business processes, not used for superficial tasks. “It’s not so hard—you need to connect AI to real work. Instead of having it do side jobs, you need to connect it to the big jobs.” Calkins highlighted a major pain point in large organizations: the overwhelming volume of incoming communication. “Most corporations get a million pieces of incoming communication,” he said. “And some are on paper, some on fax machines, some emails, texts, calls—on all different topics, all different formats.” Appian has found success in solving this problem. Their AI can process and understand a wide range of inputs—emails, handwritten notes, faxes, and more—accurately route them to the right departments, and store them in the correct databases with 99% accuracy. “It’s just amazing, but it’s also boring,” Calkins admitted. “It’s back office. Nobody will understand it if you do a Super Bowl ad about it.” He concluded that the world remains largely unaware of the real, transformative potential of AI—instead, companies are focused on flashy, low-impact applications. “And so, the world is just more or less unaware of the real answer for how to use AI, and they’re off doing silly things that aren't going to matter.”