Ashby Expands Into AI Interviewing With Talent Llama Acquisition

New capability brings structured, AI-driven interviews directly into Ashby's unified hiring platform

SAN FRANCISCO, May 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Ashby, the all-in-one recruiting platform, today announced the upcoming  launch of its AI Interviewer at its annual Ashby One conference. The product builds on the acquisition of Talent Llama late last year, a startup focused on AI-powered interviewing technology.

The AI Interviewer lets teams run structured, conversational screening interviews directly in Ashby, with results feeding into the same workflows they already use for scheduling, evaluation, and decision-making.

"We were reasonably skeptical of AI interviewing at first," said Benji Encz, CEO and co-founder of Ashby. "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 — which is why we're building it directly into our platform."

Ashby's move into AI interviewing came from using it internally in mid 2025 and hearing interest from customers. Speaking to over 600 talent and recruiting professionals during the Ashby One Product Keynote, Recruiting Manager Anna Hall shared how 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," shared Hall. "That approach is already working. We've extended offers to three candidates who came through that path."

Why Talent Llama

Founded by Adam Stokar and Ben Chaikin, Talent Llama has spent the past two years building AI interviewing tools grounded in real hiring workflows.

"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. The product quality, the pace of shipping, and the focus on real hiring workflows all lined up with our vision while enabling us to move much faster."

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. The resulting Ashby AI Interviewer is designed as part of the platform's broader AI strategy, focused on embedding intelligence directly into workflows rather than layering on disconnected tools.

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
• Maintain a consistent candidate experience across the hiring journey

The system is designed to prioritize transparency, human oversight, and clear evaluation criteria — principles Ashby has applied across its AI features.

A broader shift in recruiting

The launch reflects a broader shift in recruiting, where teams are balancing higher application volumes with the need to maintain quality and candidate experience.

"Tools like AI interviewers are becoming more relevant for certain types of hiring, especially higher-volume roles," said Encz. "We're still early, but the direction is clear."

Ashby's AI Interviewer is currently rolling out in private beta, with broader availability planned in the coming months.

About Ashby
Ashby All-in-One enables ambitious talent teams to run a data-driven talent acquisition process with the latest innovations in AI, automation, and quality of hire measurement at their fingertips. Ashby combines your ATS, CRM & sourcing, scheduling, and analytics into a single, scalable solution with a modern UI and customizations to empower your business, from startup to enterprise.

About Ashby One
Ashby One is a one-day conference designed for Talent Acquisition leaders and RecOps professionals to gain actionable insights and build meaningful connections through keynotes, deep dives, and hands-on workshops. Attendees will have opportunities to engage directly with Ashby's Engineering, Customer Success, and Product teams through Ashby Labs, enjoy curated meals, and connect at an evening reception.

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SOURCE Ashby, Inc.