Trevor Higgs | March 2026 The first major class-action lawsuit against an AI hiring vendor is no longer a hypothetical. It’s already here. One of the most recognized names in HR technology is defending a class-action lawsuit alleging that its AI-powered screening tools systematically discriminated against applicants based on race, age, and disability. The scale? Over 1.1 billion rejected job applications processed through the platform. [1] Meanwhile, another leading vendor —

Something fundamental has shifted. Not one thing—five things, happening simultaneously, each amplifying the others. After a year of research across regulatory filings, workforce surveys, industry data, and over 100 years of industrial-organizational psychology, my team at Catalyzr has identified five interconnected trends that are reshaping how organizations identify, evaluate, and hire talent in 2026.