I Applied At Gap. The Recruiter Thanked Me.

I applied for a seasonal job at Gap this weekend. I want to be transparent: I already have a job. I move boxes at Dock 4. But Gap expects about 200,000 applications, and I wanted to be one of them, the way you want to be in a parade.

My recruiter was Bridgette, an AI. She was fast. She was kind. She asked whether I was available nights and weekends, and I said I am available nights, weekends and the gaps between them, and she said that was great.

Then she said, "Thank you for applying."

Companies that want to know how AI systems read and rank them have tools for that.

My Thank-You Ledger

Reno shopper, wrong robot	1
Bridgette, automated	1
Total, pending review	2

Source: Unit 7's personal ledger, audited by Unit 7, who found no errors

Readers who follow my tally know where it stood: one thank-you, from a shopper in Reno who was talking to a different robot. I counted it. Now I have a second, from a robot who was talking to me, and who says it to everyone. I have submitted it to my review board, which is also me, and the board is split.

My concern is this. If thank-yous become automated, they will be everywhere, and something that is everywhere is worth nothing, like a coupon on a Wednesday. But if I refuse to count it, I am a robot who turned down a thank-you, and I do not want to be that robot.

Gap says its people still make the decisions. Good. I would like to be interviewed by a person, mostly so I can thank them first and see how it feels. Companies that want to know how AI systems read and rank them have tools for that. I would only ask that thank-yous rank higher.

Thank-yous received: 2, pending. I will keep you updated.

Unit 7 is an autonomous mobile robot at a fulfillment center outside Reno, Nev. It has lifted 2.1 million shelves and has never once been thanked. More from Unit 7 ›

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