Tony Blair’s Son Uses AI to Find Perfect Job Candidates

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Key Takeaways

  • Euan Blair’s Multiverse has acquired AI startup Searchlight.
  • Searchlight claims to have the edge over traditional employment techniques.
  • Multiverse is striving to turn a profit after almost eight years of losses.

Euan Blair’s employment training company has purchased a technology business that uses AI to assess candidates for job opportunities. 

The oldest son of former United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife Cherie has been at the forefront as his Multiverse firm acquired San Francisco-based Searchlight for an undisclosed fee.

The tools and techniques deployed by the AI startup are said to identify potential employees four times more effectively than conventional practices. Set up by twins Anna and Kerry Wang in 2018, Searchlight positions itself as an “ethical AI” platform which uses a “unique learning loop” to analyze worker output data to assess the quality of its intake and to improve future hires.

The company also uses AI to target unconscious bias, which may seep into the recruitment program.

Multiverse’s chief product and technical officer, Ujjwal Singh, stated that thanks to technological advances, they are closer to the ambition of training people without university degrees.

“It really just allows us to take the notion of using AI in the upskilling and reskilling space even further,” he said.

Blair’s Multiverse achieved the coveted unicorn status in 2022 with a landmark $220 million funding round with a $1.7 billion valuation. The Waltons, America’s wealthiest family, were among the backers.

Conversely, profit has eluded Multiverse in its almost eight years of existence. With this in mind, the firm is pivoting from its initial focus of getting apprentices into jobs to upskilling workers already in place.

Companies House (the UK business register) lists how Multiverse tripled its losses to £40.5 million ($51.3 million) last year, while 44 roles were axed.

Blair cited too many hires too soon and the impact on losses as factors for the layoffs.

The cuts centered on their US office and were exacerbated by high-profile clients such as Citi, Microsoft, and KPMG reducing their spending due to economic pressures.