

I’ve been on the hiring end of those conversations before, and frankly I prefer it when a candidate withdraws.
This, so much, this.
I’ve done many interviews on the hiring side. They’re exhausting. If you’re not interested in the job, please don’t interview. No repercussions will be had and any (introverted) ICs that were going to be pulled into the interview will breath a sigh of relief.
You’re probably right on the grand scheme of things. However, I find recruiters are a dime a dozen. When job postings in my area that match my skill set are posted, I get 5-6 recruiters messaging me for the same job. So, at least for me, I wouldn’t worry about burning bridges with a single recruiter.