The Risks of AI-Written Resumes: Your Essential 2025 Guide
How to Successfully Spot an AI-Written Resume – The Trouble with AI: How to Spot an AI-Written Resume in 2025
How Employers and Recruiters Can Spot a Resume Written by AI in 2025
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Why AI-Generated Resumes Are on the Rise
- Benefits and Risks of AI-Written Resumes
- Key Signs a Resume Might Be AI-Generated
- 4.1 Overly Polished or Generic Language
- 4.2 Repetitive Keyword Stuffing
- 4.3 Lack of Personalised Achievements
- 4.4 Formatting Consistency That’s Too Perfect
- 4.5 Vague or Overly Broad Skills Lists
- 4.6 Unusual Tone or Style Shifts
- Tools Recruiters Can Use to Detect AI-Written Resumes
- How to Verify the Authenticity of Resume Content
- Best Practices for Employers to Handle AI-Written Resumes
- Conclusion
1. Introduction
With AI writing tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini, and Jasper becoming mainstream, job seekers are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to polish or even completely write their resumes. While these tools can help candidates present themselves more clearly, they also raise concerns for employers and recruiters about authenticity, accuracy, and skill verification.
In this article, we’ll explore how employers and recruiters can identify resumes generated or heavily influenced by AI, and how to assess them fairly without dismissing strong candidates.
2. Why AI-Generated Resumes Are on the Rise
AI resume builders are popular because they:
- Save time for job seekers
- Create professional formatting instantly
- Optimise resumes with keywords for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)
- Help non-native English speakers improve grammar and tone
However, while AI can improve presentation, it often strips away individuality, resulting in a resume that looks perfect on paper but may not reflect real-world skills.
3. Benefits and Risks of AI-Written Resumes
| Benefits | Risks |
|---|---|
| Clear and concise writing | Lack of personal voice |
| Optimised for ATS scanning | Potential skill exaggeration |
| Error-free grammar | Generic and impersonal tone |
| Saves candidate time | Risk of misleading or unverified claims |
4. Key Signs a Resume Might Be AI-Generated
4.1 Overly Polished or Generic Language
AI tends to produce overly formal, jargon-heavy descriptions such as “Proven track record of leveraging synergies to drive impactful outcomes.” While polished, this type of language can lack specific, measurable achievements.
4.2 Repetitive Keyword Stuffing
AI often “over-optimises” for ATS by repeating industry keywords excessively, making the text sound unnatural.
4.3 Lack of Personalised Achievements
Human-written resumes often contain unique project examples, numbers, and specific contexts. AI resumes may have generic bullet points without concrete results.
4.4 Formatting Consistency That’s Too Perfect
While good formatting is positive, AI-generated resumes sometimes have flawless symmetry — identical bullet point lengths, uniform sentence structures, and perfect alignment — something human resumes rarely achieve naturally.
4.5 Vague or Overly Broad Skills Lists
AI may generate long skills sections that include irrelevant abilities or buzzwords with little context on how they were applied.
4.6 Unusual Tone or Style Shifts
Some AI resumes shift suddenly from overly formal to conversational, a sign of mixed human and AI editing.
5. Tools Recruiters Can Use to Detect AI-Written Resumes
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GPTZero – Detects AI-generated text
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Originality.ai – Identifies AI-written content and plagiarism
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Sapling.ai AI Detector – Useful for short-form content like bullet points
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Cross-checking with LinkedIn profiles to validate experience
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6. How to Verify the Authenticity of Resume Content
- Ask for specific examples during interviews
- Request work samples or portfolios
- Give short skills tests relevant to the role
- Check references to confirm achievements
7. Best Practices for Employers to Handle AI-Written Resumes
- Avoid automatic rejection — many skilled candidates use AI for grammar, not deception
- Focus on skills validation over detecting AI usage
- Train hiring teams to spot generic claims and probe deeper in interviews
- Update job descriptions to encourage authenticity and examples
8. Conclusion
AI-written resumes are here to stay. While they can be helpful for candidates, they sometimes hide a lack of depth or inflate abilities. By learning to spot the tell-tale signs of AI-generated content and implementing fair assessment methods, employers can ensure they hire based on genuine skills, not just polished presentation.
