AI can speed up applicant review, reduce manual screening, and make the hiring funnel more efficient. But Utah law does not give employers a free pass just because a computer made the decision. When an AI tool screens people out unfairly, the employer is still legally responsible.

Two areas matter most in Utah:

• Antidiscrimination protections under the Utah Antidiscrimination Act (UAA)
• Data handling obligations when AI systems process applicant information

AI tools now sit at the intersection of both.

The Utah Antidiscrimination Act prohibits employment discrimination based on protected traits such as race, sex, religion, national origin, pregnancy, disability, age, and other categories.

When an AI system is used in hiring:

• Employers are responsible for biased outputs even if the bias was unintentional.
• If a résumé-scoring model favors certain names, schools, ZIP codes, or language patterns, that can still create a discriminatory impact.
• Utah investigators will look at the effects of the tool, not just the employer’s intentions.

Key obligations for Utah employers:

• Make sure automated hiring tools do not disproportionately exclude protected groups.
• Know what data the tool uses and how decisions are made.
• Keep documentation showing the business reason for the hiring criteria used.

Utah employers must also consider federal expectations. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has already issued guidance on:

• Algorithmic bias
• Disability accommodations
• Automated assessments that may screen out protected groups

Under EEOC rules:

• If an AI interview bot misinterprets speech or facial expressions of applicants with disabilities, that may violate federal law.
• Employers must offer reasonable accommodations when automated tools present barriers.

Even though Utah law governs most local hiring disputes, federal guidance is still used to judge whether an employer acted responsibly when deploying AI.

AI hiring systems often collect large amounts of applicant data, including résumé details, behavioral assessments, recorded video responses, or metadata from automated interviews.

Utah employers should track:

• What information the AI tool collects
• How long that data is stored
• Whether any third-party vendor processes or sells the data

If an employer uses a vendor, they are still responsible for ensuring hiring data is handled lawfully and securely.

Employers using automated hiring systems should maintain:

• Records of the criteria the tool uses
• Version history or major updates to the algorithm
• Any bias-testing results from the vendor
• Notes documenting how the tool supports legitimate business needs

Keeping these records helps employers show they acted reasonably if a Utah Antidiscrimination Act complaint is filed.

Utah doesn’t yet have a specific AI hiring regulation, but employers are expected to show they made efforts to ensure fairness.

Stronger Utah hiring practices include:

• Reviewing vendor bias-testing summaries
• Checking whether the tool explains why it rejected applicants
• Validating that the AI’s criteria relate to real job requirements

Below are the most important real-world actions hiring teams in Utah can take:

• Review how your AI vendor screens applicants.
• Confirm that no protected group is disproportionately excluded.
• Train HR teams on when they need to override or manually review automated results.
• Give applicants a way to request accommodations during automated assessments.
• Document why AI tools are being used and what problem they solve.

These steps strengthen both compliance and trust.