You have a job interview on Zoom.
You have your resume open.
Your notes are ready.
Then you wonder:
Can I also have ChatGPT open during the interview?
Maybe you want it to help you answer a difficult question.
Maybe you want it to suggest a better way to explain your experience.
Or maybe you are thinking about using an AI tool that listens to the interview and gives you answers while you are speaking.
There is a big difference between those things.
Using AI to prepare for an interview is one thing.
Using AI to answer questions for you in real time is another.
AI is already part of the interview process
Candidates are not the only ones using AI during hiring.
Employers are using it too.
AI can now be part of screening, assessments, interview scheduling, recorded interviews, and live interviews.
A 2026 Greenhouse survey of 2,950 job seekers across the US, UK, Ireland, Germany, and Australia found that 63% had already experienced an AI interview.
That means candidates are increasingly entering interviews where AI is involved on the employer’s side.
At the same time, some candidates are using AI on their own side.
That creates a new question that did not exist in quite the same way a few years ago:
Where does interview preparation end and AI assistance begin?
Using AI before the interview is different
Using tools to prepare is nothing unusual.
You can ask AI to help you:
- practice common interview questions
- identify weak points in your resume
- explain a technical concept
- research an industry
- suggest questions to ask the interviewer
- organize examples from your previous work
- run a mock interview
The important part is that you are still thinking.
If AI helps you practice an answer and you then explain the experience in your own words, that's very different from reading an AI-generated answer while the interviewer waits for your response.
Preparation can make you better prepared.
Real-time AI can make it difficult for the employer to know who they are actually interviewing.
What about using AI during a live interview?
This is where the rules become much less clear.
Some candidates now use tools that listen to interview questions and generate suggested answers while the interview is happening.
Lean In’s 2026 research found that 20% of male job seekers and 10% of female job seekers surveyed said they had used AI tools that listen to interview questions and feed them answers in real time.
That may seem like an easy way to handle a difficult interview.
It can also backfire.
If an employer expects to hear your own explanation of a project, your own reasoning, or your own response to an unexpected question, an AI-generated answer changes what the interview is measuring.
And if the employer has prohibited AI assistance, using it can cost you the opportunity altogether.
Can an interviewer tell?
Sometimes, yes.
But there is no reliable rule that says an interviewer can always identify AI assistance.
A candidate may look at another screen, pause before answering, repeat the interviewer’s question, or give an answer that sounds unusually polished.
None of those things proves that AI is being used.
Employers are also experimenting with different ways of detecting or limiting AI assistance.
That means trying to hide AI use is a risky strategy.
You may get through one interview.
You may also create a bigger problem if you reach a later stage where you have to demonstrate the same skill without assistance.
What if the company allows AI?
Then the situation is different.
Some employers are becoming more open about AI use because they want to know whether candidates can work effectively with the technology.
The key is to follow the instructions given for the interview.
If the employer says AI is allowed, find out what that means.
Does it mean you can use AI to take notes?
Can you use it for research?
Can you use it during a technical exercise?
Can you use an AI assistant during a live conversation?
Do not assume that “AI is allowed” means “anything goes.”
If the instructions are unclear, ask.
That is much safer than guessing.
AI can also be part of the employer’s interview
There is another side to the problem.
What if the company is using AI to interview you?
You may receive an automated video interview, speak with an AI voice agent, or complete an assessment that uses AI.
This is becoming more common.
Greenhouse’s 2026 research found that 70% of US candidates who had experienced AI evaluation said the company had not clearly disclosed AI use before their most recent AI interview.
Candidates are not necessarily rejecting AI itself.
They want to know what is happening.
The same research found that candidates are more comfortable with AI when employers explain its role and maintain human oversight.
So if you are asked to complete an AI interview, it is reasonable to ask:
- What is the AI evaluating?
- Is a person reviewing the results?
- Will the recording be stored?
- How will the information be used?
- Can I request a human alternative if one is available?
The employer may not be able to answer every question in detail, but you should at least know what part AI plays in the process.
Do not let AI replace your own examples
There is another reason to be careful.
Good interview answers are not just collections of impressive phrases.
They contain details.
What did you actually do?
What went wrong?
What did you change?
What was the result?
What did you learn?
An AI tool can produce a polished answer in seconds.
But it does not have your actual work history.
If you rely too heavily on generated answers, you can end up sounding prepared without being able to explain the experience behind the answer.
That becomes especially obvious when the interviewer asks a follow-up question.
For example, you might prepare an answer about resolving a difficult problem.
Then the interviewer asks:
“What would you do differently now?”
That question requires your own judgment.
A better way to use AI for interview preparation
Use AI before the interview to make your preparation harder, not easier.
Give it your resume and the job description and ask:
“What questions would a hiring manager ask someone with this experience?”
Then answer those questions yourself.
You can also ask:
“Which parts of my experience are not clear from this resume?”
Or:
“What follow-up questions could an interviewer ask about this project?”
Those questions can help you find gaps before the interview.
The same preparation can help if you are interested in a job but do not meet every requirement. Before deciding not to apply, it is worth looking at which requirements are truly essential and where your experience may still be relevant. You can read more about this in I Found a Remote Job I Really Want, But I Don’t Meet All the Requirements. Should I Apply?.
You can then practice answering without AI.
That gives you the benefit of the technology without making the technology responsible for your answers.
What if you need help during the interview?
If you genuinely need an accommodation, do not try to solve the problem secretly with AI.
Talk to the employer.
There may be legitimate reasons why a candidate needs additional time, written instructions, assistive technology, or another form of support.
That is very different from secretly using an AI tool to generate answers.
The safest approach is to understand the rules before the interview.
So, can you use AI during a job interview?
There is no universal answer.
Before the interview: Usually, yes. AI can be useful for research, practice, and preparation.
During the interview: Follow the employer’s instructions. If AI assistance is not clearly allowed, do not assume that it is.
For a take-home assignment: Check the rules. Some employers allow AI, while others want to see unaided work.
For an AI interview: Ask how the technology is being used and whether a human reviews the result.
For real-time answers: Be especially careful. If the tool is answering questions for you, you are no longer simply using AI as a preparation aid.
The easiest test is this:
Could you explain the same answer yourself if the AI disappeared?
If the answer is yes, AI may have helped you prepare.
If the answer is no, you may be relying on it too much.
AI is becoming part of both sides of the hiring process. Candidates do not need to avoid it completely.
They do need to know when they are using AI to improve their preparation — and when they are asking it to perform the interview for them.
Looking for your next remote opportunity?
Explore remote jobs on Online.jobs and find roles that match your skills and experience.
Sources
- Greenhouse — 2026 Candidate AI Interview Report
- Greenhouse — 63% of Job Seekers Have Faced an AI Interview
- Lean In — AI Is Feeding People Interview Answers in Real Time
- Lean In — New Research: Men Are Twice as Likely to Use AI in Job Interviews
- Bullhorn — 2026 GRID Talent Trends Report