The fear is loud. The reality is quieter.
AI handles the parts of recruiting that were always going to lose to automation: sifting, formatting, scheduling, first-pass screening. What it cannot do is read a room, hold a relationship over three years, or know which candidate will actually thrive at a difficult client.
The recruiters who win in 2026 are the ones who let Holi take the mechanical work so they can spend their day on the part only they can do: judgement, taste, trust.