2.5 Masters GPA vs. 5 Years Work Experience + 2 Papers. Am I automatically filtered out for a US PhD?

I’m at a crossroads and need a reality check before I sink money into application fees. I feel like my profile is a paradox, and I don't know if my experience can outweigh my academic record.

The Stats: Bachelors (BCA): 7.36/10 CGPA (approx. 3.1 GPA) Masters (M.Sc. Software Tech): Projected 6.26/10 CGPA (approx. 2.5 GPA) Work Experience: 5 Years (Half a decade in industry)

Research: 4 months intense research experience, 2 Research Papers published.

Projects: 3 major technical projects.

English: Proficient (Taking TOEFL soon).

The Fear: My Masters GPA tanked. I know a 2.5 is below the 3.0 cutoff for many Graduate Schools. However, I have significant industry experience and a proven research track record.

My Questions: The Filter: Will the computer systems automatically reject me because of the 2.5 GPA before a human even reads my research papers?

University Recommendations: Can anyone recommend US universities (Computer Science/AI) that are known to look at the "Whole Candidate" rather than just the GPA? I’m looking for schools where my 5 years of experience will actually count.

Any advice or similar success stories would effectively save my sanity right now. Thanks!