Ashby, the all-in-one recruiting platform, has announced the upcoming launch of its AI Interviewer at its annual Ashby One conference. The product is built on the acquisition of Talent Llama, a startup focused on AI-powered interviewing technology, which Ashby acquired late last year.
The AI Interviewer lets teams run structured, conversational screening interviews directly within Ashby. Results feed into the same workflows already used for scheduling, evaluation, and decision-making. Because the feature is built on Ashby's unified data model, teams can launch AI interviews directly within their hiring plans, evaluate candidates using structured signals and full transcripts, integrate interview outputs into downstream decisions and reporting, and maintain a consistent candidate experience across the hiring journey.
Why Talent Llama
Founded by Adam Stokar and Ben Chaikin, Talent Llama spent the past two years building AI interviewing tools grounded in real hiring workflows. The Talent Llama team has joined Ashby and is rebuilding its technology directly on Ashby's platform, ensuring all interview data, evaluations, and candidate context live within a single system.
"We weren't planning to sell the company," said Stokar. "But after working closely with the Ashby team, it became clear this was the right place to keep building."
Internal testing and early results
Ashby's move into AI interviewing came from using it internally in mid 2025 and hearing interest from customers. During the Ashby One Product Keynote, Recruiting Manager Anna Hall shared that 36% of candidates opted into the AI experience when given the choice between a recruiter screen or an AI interview on their own time.
"We started using AI interviews to give candidates we might have passed on another chance to show their strengths," said Hall. "That approach is already working. We've extended offers to three candidates who came through that path."
Ashby CEO and co-founder Benji Encz noted the company was initially skeptical of AI interviewing. "What changed was seeing it work in our own hiring process. When it's designed to feel natural and useful for candidates, it becomes a lot more compelling."
Tradeoffs
The system is designed to prioritize transparency, human oversight, and clear evaluation criteria — principles Ashby has applied across its AI features. Encz described the tool as more relevant for certain types of hiring, especially higher-volume roles. "We're still early, but the direction is clear."
Availability
Ashby's AI Interviewer is currently rolling out in private beta, with broader availability planned in the coming months.