A Reddit user who claimed to be suffering from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) recalled an interview for a tech company with an AI woman. The post appeared in r/LegalAdviceUK, a Reddit forum dedicated to legal questions in the United Kingdom.
The user's identity and nationality have not been confirmed.
Alongside sharing the experience, the user asked the community about legal protections for people with disabilities in UK hiring processes.
In the post, the user called the experience "humiliating." AI-led job interviews have become increasingly common at large companies, though critics have noted the technology can struggle to account for speech differences, accents or medical conditions that affect how a candidate communicates.
Firstly, the Redditor said, “I’ve got severe COPD, and I struggle to complete a full sentence without pausing to breathe.” When logging in for an interview, he realized that the interviewer happened to be an AI woman.
The user claimed that the AI woman asked him complex questions with multiple parts, designed to gauge a person’s problem-solving capabilities. Since the Redditor has COPD, the individual will naturally take some time to answer all these questions at once.
Which the AI Woman allegedly failed to comprehend, according to the Reddit user. Before the person could finish explaining one part of the question, the AI woman moved on to another one.
While the interviewer proceeded to the next question, the Redditor interrupted to ensure he finished answering the previous question. Upon getting interrupted, the AI woman said, “We have already moved on from that question.”
According to the Reddit user with COPD, this interruption happened repeatedly, and it felt “humiliating and degrading.”
The user expressed alleged frustrations, saying, “I was trying to catch my breath with an inhaler, and the AI was just cutting me off when I was wheezing.”
What Happened After the Interview
The interview was held on a Thursday, and on Friday (a day later), the user found out the outcome. Unfortunately, the person did not clear the interview with the AI woman and found out through an email from the company.
The user attempted to explain what happened during the interview in detail but received a response from the company saying the answers were “not adequate.”
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The Redditor specified that the company's reply was written by a person, not generated by a bot.
Lastly, the Redditor emphasized being a competent employee even with COPD. The user concluded their response, saying, “Being treated by AI like this was humiliating and degrading.”
The Comments Section Had Thoughts — and Some Practical Advice
The user also asked the community whether any UK laws address disability accommodations in AI job interviews.
The post drew responses from fellow Redditors who offered both legal guidance and solidarity. One user said, “I suggest that you contact ACAS, which is free, and they can advise further.”
Another added, “Contact recruitment and explain your experience. Ask to be re-interviewed by a real person.”
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The user responded to say the company had already turned down the request for a re-interview with a human.
A third individual stated, “Look for postings that show that they are disability confident, or other indications that they factor in accessibility adjustments during the hiring process.”
The thread also sparked a conversation about AI interviews and their growing use in corporate hiring.
A user mentioned, “AI recruitment is going to be recognized as a huge scandal eventually…”
Another said, “Lol if they can’t bother with a human for an actual interview, what are the chances of getting a human to reply to emails and calls?” The user had not responded to further comments or shared an update at the time of publication.
