Eightfold AI is a talent intelligence platform strongest in AI-driven recruiting and skills-based workforce planning, with autonomous interviewing agents launched in 2026. Gloat is strongest as an internal talent marketplace that matches employees to projects, gigs, mentors and roles. Choose Eightfold if hiring at scale is the priority; choose Gloat if internal mobility and redeployment are. Both are built for large enterprises, typically 5,000+ employees, with custom pricing.
Talent intelligence promises to tell you what skills your people have, what you'll need and how to close the gap. Eightfold and Gloat are two of the most cited platforms, but they come at the problem from opposite directions: Eightfold from the outside in (candidates and hiring), Gloat from the inside out (employees and mobility).
Eightfold vs. Gloat at a glance
| Eightfold AI | Gloat | |
|---|---|---|
| Center of gravity | Talent acquisition and skills-based planning | Internal talent marketplace and mobility |
| 2026 additions | Talent Agents, including an AI Interviewer and Interview Companion | Career coach and redeployment agents |
| Skills data | Proprietary talent graph built from career trajectories | Internal skills and opportunity graph |
| Pricing | Custom enterprise, not public | Custom enterprise, not public |
| Best for | Large employers hiring at scale | Large employers prioritizing internal mobility |
Eightfold AI
Eightfold uses deep learning to match candidates to roles, identify internal mobility paths and support workforce planning. In 2026 it organized its product around Talent Agents, autonomous AI workers that execute hiring tasks, including an AI Interviewer that conducts structured interviews and an Interview Companion that supports human interviewers in real time. Eightfold says its engine is trained on over a billion career trajectories.
Buyers should also track the legal context. In January 2026, job applicants filed a proposed class action in California alleging that Eightfold's AI-generated applicant scores function as consumer reports under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, requiring disclosure, consent and dispute rights. Eightfold has publicly denied the allegations, and the case had not been resolved at the time of writing. Whatever the outcome, it is a reminder to ask any AI hiring vendor about transparency and candidate rights.
Gloat
Gloat, formerly known as Workey, focuses on workforce agility. Its marketplace matches employees to internal projects, gigs, mentoring and open roles based on their skills and interests, helping companies redeploy talent and build a skills-based organization. Its lens is deliberately internal; external market intelligence is not its product.
Which one fits
- Hiring volume is your bottleneck: Eightfold.
- Talent is leaving because there's no visible path inside: Gloat.
- You run Workday or SAP: check the talent intelligence built into your suite first; both now embed it as features.
What talent intelligence platforms usually miss
Both platforms model skills: what people know and have done. They say much less about behavior: how a person decides under pressure, gives feedback or collaborates, which often determines whether a move or promotion succeeds. They also tend to require large organizations and long implementations.
Cairo focuses on that behavioral layer for growing companies: a profile across 80+ indicators, team-level views and a development path for every gap, live in weeks. It is built for development, not for automated hiring decisions. See what is talent intelligence and AI talent mapping.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Eightfold and Gloat?
Eightfold is strongest in AI-driven recruiting and skills-based workforce planning. Gloat is strongest as an internal talent marketplace for mobility, projects and redeployment.
How much do Eightfold and Gloat cost?
Neither publishes pricing. Both sell custom enterprise contracts, usually to organizations with thousands of employees.
Is Eightfold facing a lawsuit?
Yes. In January 2026 a proposed class action alleged that its applicant scores fall under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Eightfold denies the claims, and the case was unresolved at the time of writing.
Are there talent intelligence options for mid-sized companies?
Yes. Lighter platforms focused on behavioral profiles and development, such as Cairo, are designed for companies without large HR technology teams.
Sources
- ZoomInfo Pipeline, Eightfold AI Features: A Complete Breakdown in 2026.
- Knowlee, AI Talent Intelligence in 2026.
- Fisher Phillips, Job Applicants Sue AI Screening Company for FCRA Violations, January 2026.
- ERE, What Happens to AI Hiring When the Uniform Guidelines Disappear?, January 2026.
- CB Insights, Eightfold alternatives and competitors.
