INSIGHTS
A Candidate's Guide to AI & Interviewing
AI tools have become a natural part of how many of us work — and that raises a question candidates are increasingly asking: is it okay to use AI when applying for jobs?
The honest answer is that it depends, and nuance matters more than a simple yes-or-no. Norms are still forming, companies vary widely in their expectations, and what’s welcomed at one organization may disqualify you at another.
This guide outlines what I consider to be broadly reasonable practice. But one thing needs to be said upfront:
These are guidelines, not rules. Every hiring company has its own policy, and theirs takes precedence over anything written here. Always check with the team you’re working with.
With that caveat firmly in place, here’s how to think about this.
Why it matters
The way you use AI during a hiring process does more than affect your output — it signals your judgment and integrity. Employers are watching not just what you produce, but how you go about it.
Some companies are genuinely excited to see candidates who work fluently with AI. Others want to assess your unassisted abilities and view any AI use during interviews as a red flag. Many are still figuring out where they stand.
Understanding the landscape helps you make informed choices — and avoid missteps that have nothing to do with your actual abilities.
What’s generally acceptable
Polishing your application materials
Using AI to improve grammar, tighten your resume, or clarify your cover letter is widely accepted across most industries. The underlying principle: the ideas, experience, and claims should genuinely be yours. AI can refine how you express yourself — it shouldn’t be expressing things for you.
Research and preparation
Exploring role requirements, learning about a company, or using AI to brainstorm interview answers that you then develop in your own voice is reasonable preparation — no different in spirit from using any other research tool.
Being transparent
If you used AI to help create or refine any materials, say so. This isn’t just ethical — it’s strategic. Interviewers increasingly value candidates who can articulate how they work with AI, not just that they use it. If you’re asked to walk through your thinking or expand on something, that’s an opportunity, not a trap.
Talking about your experience with AI
Many employers are actively trying to understand how people think about AI tools — their use cases, limitations, and implications. Sharing your perspective here can differentiate you, especially for roles where AI literacy is an asset.
What tends to backfire
Submitting work that isn’t yours
Presenting AI-generated answers, take-home exercises, or work samples as your own — without disclosure — misrepresents your abilities. Most organizations screen for this, and discovery typically results in immediate disqualification. The risk simply isn’t worth it.
Using AI live during interviews without permission
Unless an employer has explicitly said AI tools are permitted during a live interview or assessment, it’s safest to assume they’re not. Beyond the risk of being caught, relying on AI responses in real time prevents the interviewer from assessing the actual you — which isn’t in your long-term interest even if you get away with it.
Reading scripted responses word for word
Delivering AI-written answers verbatim tends to come across as flat and rehearsed. Your reasoning process, how you engage with unexpected questions, and your communication style are often more telling — and more valued — than technically polished answers.
Navigating the grey areas
Not everything falls neatly into “fine” or “not fine.” A few common grey areas:
Take-home assignments: These often exist specifically to assess unassisted work. If the instructions don’t address AI, assume it’s not permitted — or ask. Getting clarity in advance is always better than making an assumption you’ll regret.
AI-assisted presentations: Using AI to design a slide deck or suggest a structure is generally more acceptable than using it to write the content you’ll be presenting. If you can’t speak confidently to every element, that’s a signal you’ve leaned too heavily on the tool.
Disclosing AI use unprompted: When in doubt, lean toward transparency. A brief note — “I used AI to help refine the formatting, but the content and analysis are my own” — often lands better than silence, and better still than being asked directly.
The one question worth asking
Hiring norms around AI are evolving quickly. Industry by industry, company by company, and sometimes interviewer by interviewer, expectations differ — and they’re shifting.
The simplest, most effective move is to ask directly:
“What’s your policy on AI use during this process?”
A thoughtful hiring team will appreciate the question. It signals self-awareness and professionalism. And you’ll know exactly where you stand.
A final note
These guidelines reflect what I consider broadly sensible practice — they’re a starting point for thinking, not a definitive standard. The company you’re applying to sets the rules, and those rules vary more than most candidates realize.
The underlying principle, though, is consistent: use AI in ways that genuinely represent you, not in ways that substitute for you.