For most applications, you should not opt out of AI resume screening. Opting out usually removes only the automated scoring step: your resume still goes into the employer's applicant tracking system, but it may wait in a separate pile for a person to get round to it, which on a busy role can mean after the shortlist has already been picked. Opting out makes more sense when you have a referral or a direct contact at the company, when your experience is unusual and hard to judge from keywords, or when you have a real concern about how the tool treats people like you. Either way, a clear, readable resume matters more than the checkbox.

A quick note on who is writing this: SwiftShortlist makes AI CV screening software for employers. That gives us a view of how these tools are used from the hiring side, and it is also a reason to be careful with our advice, so we have tried to give you the downsides as well as the upsides.

What the opt-out box actually means

The wording varies. You might see "Do you want to opt out of AI screening?", "Request an alternative selection process", or, in New York City, something like "Opt out of the use of an AEDT" (an automated employment decision tool). In practice it usually means:

Your application is still stored in the employer's system, just like everyone else's.
The AI scoring or ranking step is skipped for your application, so you do not get a match score.
A person reviews you instead, or you go through a different process the employer has set up.

It rarely means you skip the applicant tracking system (ATS) itself. The ATS is the database that holds every application. Opting out changes how you are assessed, not whether you are in the system.

Why the box is appearing more often

Mostly because of the law, not because employers want to offer it.

New York City (Local Law 144): employers using automated tools to screen candidates must have the tool bias-audited, tell candidates it is being used, and explain how to request an alternative selection process or accommodation.
California (from January 2027): under the state's new rules on automated decision-making, many larger employers will have to tell candidates before using these tools and, in many cases, offer an opt-out or a way to appeal to a human. There are exceptions, so not every California employer will offer it.
Colorado (from January 2027): the state's rewritten AI law focuses on telling candidates when AI is used and explaining bad outcomes, rather than giving a right to opt out.
UK and EU: data protection law gives you rights around decisions made purely by automated means, including the right to ask for a person to review a decision. The EU AI Act also treats AI used to screen job applicants as high-risk, with human oversight required.

Laws change quickly in this area, so treat this as a general guide rather than legal advice.

When opting out can hurt your chances

High-volume roles. If a role gets hundreds of applications, the ranked list is what recruiters read first. An unscored application may simply be read later, sometimes after interviews have started.
Large employers with fixed processes. At big companies, the "alternative process" can be slower or less clearly owned by anyone.
When your resume already matches the job well. If you clearly meet the requirements, a ranking tool is likely to put you near the top. Opting out gives that advantage away.

None of this is guaranteed. Some employers handle opt-outs promptly and fairly. But "slower and less visible" is the most common risk.

When opting out makes sense

You have a referral or a contact. If someone inside the company is going to flag your application anyway, the score matters less.
Your background is unusual. Career changers, people returning from a long break, or people whose skills are described in very different words from the job ad can be undersold by keyword-heavy tools. A good AI tool reads meaning rather than exact words, but not every tool is good.
You need an accommodation. If a disability or other reason means an automated assessment would not judge you fairly, asking for an alternative is exactly what the option is for.
You have a genuine concern about bias or data use. That is a legitimate choice. Our article on whether AI CV screening is biased explains what can go wrong and what good tools do about it.
It is a small company. At small employers, a person often reads every application anyway, so opting out costs little.

A quick way to decide

Ask yourself three questions:

Do I clearly meet most of the must-have requirements in the advert? If yes, stay in. A ranking tool should work in your favour.
Is there a reason a tool would misread me? (Unusual career path, different job titles, gaps, an accommodation need.) If yes, consider opting out and contacting the hiring team directly.
Do I have another way in? (Referral, recruiter contact, networking.) If yes, opting out is lower risk.

If you stay in: make your resume easy to read

AI tools and applicant tracking systems both struggle with the same things: complex layouts, text inside images, unusual section names and missing detail. The fixes are simple:

Use a plain layout with standard headings: Experience, Education, Skills.
Save as a text-based PDF or Word file, not a scanned image.
Use the job title and key skills from the advert where they truthfully describe what you did.
Add results, not just duties: numbers, outcomes, scope.

Our guide to an ATS-friendly resume covers this in detail, and how AI scores a CV explains what these tools actually look at.

If you opt out: do not just wait

Contact the hiring manager or recruiter on LinkedIn or by email with a short note: the role, one line on why you fit, and that you have applied.
Ask for a referral from anyone you know at the company.
Follow up after a week if you have heard nothing. It is reasonable to ask whether your application is being reviewed.

What a fair AI screening process looks like

If an employer uses AI, these are good signs:

They tell you it is being used and what it does.
A person makes every reject decision, not the tool alone.
The tool scores you against the job's requirements, not on things like your photo, age, name or address.
You can ask for a human review or an alternative.

SwiftShortlist is built this way: it ranks applications against the job description and shows the reasoning, but the recruiter makes every decision. If an employer cannot tell you any of the above about their tool, that is a fair reason to opt out.

Frequently asked questions

Will opting out of AI resume screening hurt my chances? It can, mainly because your application may be reviewed later than the ranked ones. It should not count against you directly, and employers that offer an opt-out should not treat it as a negative. If you meet the requirements well, staying in is usually the faster route to a person reading your resume.

Does opting out mean a human will read my resume? Usually yes, but not always quickly. Opting out normally sends your application to a manual review or an alternative process. Following up with the hiring team helps make sure it is actually seen.

Can an employer reject me for opting out? Employers should not penalise you for using an option they are required to offer, and in places with these laws doing so would be risky for them. In practice it is hard to prove why an application was rejected, which is another reason to follow up directly if you opt out.

Does opting out delete my data? No. Opting out changes how your application is assessed, not whether it is stored. If you want your data deleted, you need to make a separate request under the employer's privacy policy.

How do I know if a company uses AI to screen resumes? Look for an AI or automated decision notice in the job advert, the application form, the confirmation email or the careers page privacy notice. In places like New York City and, from 2027, California, many employers are required to tell you. If it is unclear, you can ask the recruiter.

Should I opt out of AI screening on Indeed or LinkedIn? The same logic applies wherever you see the option: stay in if you clearly match the job, and consider opting out if a tool is likely to misread your background or you have another way to reach the hiring team. The option is usually set by the employer's own hiring system, not the job board.

Should You Opt Out of AI Resume Screening? An Honest Answer (2026)