Companies are not forced to hire literally unqualified people

However, if they get sued, the burned of proof is on them to show that the people they didn't hire are in fact unqualified. This is hard to do to the court's satisfaction, especially if one gets a left wing judge. Furthermore, it will cost you a lot of money and bad publicity even if you win.

Its not obviously irrational, since there are rational arguments on both sides.

And yet neither you nor anyone else in this thread have presented any in favor of AA.