A photo is worth more than a thousand words and may also signal your "value" in your career. A new academic study shows that using AI to analyze photos for personality traits can predict an individual's performance in the labor market, including salary levels and promotion paths.

In a paper titled "AI Extracts Personality from Faces: Labor Market Impacts," the research team analyzed LinkedIn profile pictures of over 96,000 MBA graduates. By extracting the "Big Five Personality Traits" (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism), researchers found significant correlations between these traits and participants' starting salaries, salary trajectories, and job changes.

Although technically feasible, the researchers emphasize that they do not support this approach. They believe that extracting personality traits from facial images is inherently discriminatory and some scholars have criticized it as "pseudo-science under the guise of machine learning." However, given that human resources departments and admissions committees are rapidly adopting similar personality assessment tools, the research team believes it is necessary to conduct serious academic evaluations to promote relevant regulatory discussions.

Key Points:

  • 📊 Salary Prediction Model: The study found that AI-extracted personality traits from photos of 96,000 MBA graduates can effectively predict their starting salaries and career development.

  • ⚠️ Ethical and Discrimination Risks: Scholars warn that this face-based personality extraction carries serious biases and could evolve into a new form of workplace discrimination.

  • 🛡️ Regulation is Urgent: With the popularity of AI recruitment tools, researchers urge the government to strengthen regulation and evaluation of the use of such technologies in the labor market.