"Nine Years of Experience"—The Interview Was Flawless, but Suspicious Lip Movements Revealed the Truth

Use of AI Technology for Online Interviews with Fake Identities
"Possible Involvement of North Korean IT Engineers"

As cases of individuals disguising themselves as other people using artificial intelligence (AI) technology during online job interviews continue to emerge, companies are becoming increasingly vigilant. In Japan, an applicant suspected of using AI during the recruitment process was also detected.

A candidate believed to be using AI was discovered during a career online recruitment interview conducted by a company in Tokyo, Japan. Photo by TV Asahi

According to TV Asahi on September 14, a company in Tokyo recently discovered a candidate presumed to have used AI during an online interview for an experienced position.

In the released interview footage, a man fluently explained his work experience, stating, "I have been working in web systems development for about nine years and participated in global AI product development at my previous workplace."

However, the interviewer interrupted the conversation while listening to the man's responses. This was because the movement of the man's lips did not match his voice in the video. The interviewer immediately pointed out, "What is being shown on video and what you're saying do not match at all," and the man replied, "There may be a slight delay in communication, but I can hear everything clearly on my side."

The interviewer then said, "It sounds like you are using something like AI to speak. In that case, I would like to end the interview." The man responded to the effect of, "I'm not using AI. I am speaking myself."

The interviewer sensed something was off even in this answer. The man referred to himself using the Japanese term 'gojishin,' which is normally used as a polite expression for others rather than oneself.

The interviewer said, "There are very few cases in which someone would refer to themselves as 'gojishin.' This is a bit strange," and ended the interview.

'AI Applicants' Repeatedly Appear in Online Interviews

The interview was conducted by Kooroda, a Tokyo-based company operating an entertainment business utilizing AI. Yuji Harada, CEO of Kooroda, said, "I was quite surprised," and added, "Throughout the interview, I kept thinking the applicant was half-human, half-AI. I only became convinced at the very end that it was AI and so I was able to end the interview."

CEO Harada also explained that he sensed something off in the applicant's eye movements. The eyes kept shifting, the voice and lip movements were out of sync, and there was also a noticeable delay before answers were given.

The same individual, presumed to be AI-generated, reportedly appeared in another company's online interview in July. Tomohiko Hori, CEO of AI Square, who conducted the previous interview, said, "The AI that appeared in my interview had exactly the same face," and added, "Even the voice and manner of speaking were the same, so I thought it was the same person. I would rather say it was AI, not a human."

Experts suggest that these cases may be related to North Korean IT engineers seeking employment under false identities. Japanese IT journalist Yoh Mikami said, "North Korean IT engineers are disguising themselves as IT engineers from other countries to infiltrate companies," adding, "There are cases where they join companies in remote work roles, receive salaries that are then remitted to North Korea, or steal corporate secrets." He also noted, "In some cases, stolen information is later used in cyberattacks such as ransomware."

North Korean IT Remote Workers Wanted by the FBI in 2024. AP Yonhap News

Increasing Cases of North Korean IT Workers Seeking Employment Using Fake Identities

Incidents of individuals believed to be North Korean IT workers attempting to get jobs by falsifying their identities have been reported across multiple countries. In July of this year, 11 countries, including Japan and the United States, jointly issued a warning regarding disguised employment by North Korean IT workers. According to Asahi TV, it is estimated that there have been over 6,500 cases in which North Korean IT engineers, using AI and other means to disguise themselves as someone else, have participated in online interviews with more than 5,000 companies worldwide. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has also released wanted notices for individuals suspected of attempting to obtain employment under false identities.

Mikami explained that, to determine whether AI is being used for disguise purposes, one effective method is to ask applicants to wave their hands in front of their face during the interview. If AI technology is being used to replace only the face with someone else's, video processing may fail to keep up when a hand passes in front of the face, resulting in unnatural movements.

He also advised checking payment methods. Mikami stated, "Companies should be cautious if an applicant requests to be paid in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, or if the bank account provided is not in the applicant's own name."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.