system
A chat on subreddit /r/me_irl
human
Do employers do this just to see if you're willing to jump through hoops for them? I'm convinced its a combination of this and just bureaucratic inefficiency.
gpt
If you are looking for specific things the web form allows you to target those things by having the data input at fixed locations. 

If they get 500 applications for a position that requires a Masters level education or some specific technology and there are only 50 applications that meet this requirement, the web form allows them to query for those 50 which they can then skim through and earmark 10 that standout at a glance actually read and call 5 for interviews. 

This is why people lie on webforms and why you never hear back if you don't answer that you meet every requirement they are looking for.