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Sometimes—but only when the employer explicitly allows it for that interview stage or exercise. Permission to use AI for preparation does not mean you may use it to generate live answers, and a take-home or technical assessment may have separate rules. Check the instructions for the specific stage and ask the recruiter if they are unclear.
Can you use AI during a job interview?
There is no universal rule for candidates. Employers set their own policies, and permission can vary by role, interview stage, and assessment. Unless the instructions explicitly allow AI during a live interview or evaluation, plan to answer and complete the work independently.
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For example, LinkedIn says candidates should use AI in live interviews or technical assessments only when the recruiter or assessment module explicitly permits it. Bumble distinguishes preparation from real-time interview answers, while UBS says assessment tasks must be completed independently. Read the instructions that apply to your specific interview rather than inferring permission from a general careers page.
What AI use is usually allowed for preparation?
Several employers explicitly allow or encourage preparation with AI. Deloitte US, PNC, and Pfizer describe uses such as researching the role or organization, generating practice questions, rehearsing answers, and refining application materials. Use it to prepare your own thinking—not to invent credentials or experiences.
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- Hiring Managers: Compact and portable, it provides a convenient resource to identify and draw out meaningful and honest responses.
- Ask for likely interview questions based on the job description, then practise answering them in your own words.
- Use AI to organize examples from your actual work or study, and check that every detail remains accurate.
- Refine a résumé or application for clarity without adding skills, responsibilities, or results you cannot substantiate.
- Research the role and employer, then verify important details against reliable sources.
Policies differ in scope. Deloitte US says preparation is acceptable but interviews should be completed alone and without AI unless it explicitly says otherwise. Pfizer likewise allows preparation while disallowing assistance during live or recorded interviews and assessments unless specifically permitted. Check the employer’s current guidance for the boundaries that apply.
Why does an AI-permitted interview still require your own judgment?
Permission to use AI does not make the interview effortless or turn the final output into the only thing that matters. An employer may be assessing how you choose a tool, frame a problem, judge its response, and explain what you contributed. LinkedIn and Bumble both emphasize follow-up explanation and the candidate’s reasoning or process.
Bumble’s candidate guidance says: “We want to understand how you think, work through problems, explain your reasoning, and respond in the moment.” If AI is part of an announced exercise, be ready to explain what you asked it to do, which suggestions you accepted or rejected, how you checked the result, and what work was yours. That is a practical implication of the policies’ focus on reasoning and process—not evidence that AI-permitted interviews are measurably harder.
What should you do if the instructions are unclear?
- Read the invitation and assessment brief. Check the rules for the particular stage—live interview, take-home task, online test, or technical exercise—and note any tool, disclosure, recording, or confidentiality restrictions.
- Ask the recruiter before using AI. If the rules do not address AI, ask whether it is permitted for that stage and whether specific tools or actions, such as coding assistance, transcription, or note-taking, are allowed. Request clarification in writing when practical.
- Follow the narrowest clear instruction. Do not treat permission to prepare with AI as permission to use it during an interview or assessment. If no answer arrives before the event, complete the live evaluation independently rather than guessing.
This cautious approach aligns with policies from ServiceNow, PNC, and Deloitte US, which expect independent work unless an exception is stated. ServiceNow also prohibits recording interviews by audio, video, or text; UBS prohibits recording, transcribing, or analyzing interviews with AI. Check for separate restrictions on recording even if another tool is permitted.
How do employer policies differ?
These examples show why a candidate should check the specific employer’s rules rather than rely on a general assumption. The guidance below is published by the organizations themselves; it is not a universal standard.
| Employer or authority | Preparation | Live interview or assessment | Other stated rules |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bumble | Allows preparation, research, practice, and refining ideas. | Do not use AI to generate, suggest, or refine real-time responses unless AI is part of an announced assessment. Take-home briefs state what is expected. | Discuss accessibility-related use, such as live captioning or note-taking, with the recruiter beforehand. Bumble candidate guidance |
| UBS | AI may help with application documents if they reflect the candidate’s actual skills and experience. | Assessment tasks must be completed independently; AI-generated interview responses are prohibited. | Also prohibits AI recording, transcribing, or analyzing interviews, and avatars or deepfakes to simulate attendance. Violations may affect an application or offer. UBS careers FAQ |
| Deloitte US | Allows research, résumé or application refinement, and sample practice questions. | Complete interviews alone and without AI unless Deloitte explicitly says otherwise. | Its guidance describes AI as a preparation tool, not a substitute for the candidate’s thinking or interview assistance. Deloitte US guidance |
| ServiceNow | Not stated in the cited hiring-process guidance. | Interviews, online tests, technical challenges, and other evaluations are independent unless an explicit exception applies, such as a specified AI tool in a coding exercise. | Prohibits audio, video, or text recording of interviews. ServiceNow guidance |
| Encourages role research, exploring concepts, and mock interview practice. | Use AI only if the recruiter or assessment module explicitly permits it. | Be prepared to discuss your thinking, trade-offs, and experience in follow-up questions. LinkedIn guidance | |
| PNC | Allows practice questions, research, reflection on past experience, and editing or refining application materials. | Do not use AI to generate or assist live answers unless PNC says otherwise; assessments and take-home exercises are independent unless permission is stated. | PNC candidate guidelines |
| Pfizer | Allows preparation, research, and interview practice. | AI assistance during live or recorded interviews and assessments is not allowed unless specifically permitted. | Prohibits voice cloning, deepfakes, and identity deception. Pfizer guidance |
| Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission | Allows interview preparation, including mock questions and practising answer structure. | Do not use AI to assist answers during live, remote, recorded, timed, or supervised interviews or assessments. | Do not enter assessment material or confidential or sensitive information into AI systems. Guidance published May 2026. Applicant guidance |
The Public Service Commission of Canada offers employer-side guidance rather than a rule that applies to every Canadian interview. It advises employers to specify permitted tools and stages, disclosure expectations, and safeguards for secure assessment material. Its sample permitted-use statement asks candidates to identify AI-generated content and its source and notes that follow-up explanation may be requested. Read the actual employer’s instructions; the sample is not blanket permission. Public Service Commission of Canada guidance
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How should you handle AI if it is explicitly allowed?
- Stay within the stated scope. Permission for one tool or task does not automatically cover other stages or actions.
- Be transparent when required. Follow any disclosure rule, including instructions to identify AI-generated content or explain which tool you used.
- Verify the output. Check facts, calculations, code, and claims before relying on them; you remain responsible for what you submit or say.
- Know your contribution. Be able to describe your prompts or process, evaluate the suggestions, and distinguish your decisions and work from the tool’s output.
- Use real examples. Keep application materials and interview answers grounded in skills and experiences you actually have.
Can you use AI for captions, notes, or accessibility?
Do not assume an accessibility tool is automatically exempt from an employer’s rules. Bumble asks candidates to discuss accessibility-related AI use, including live captioning or note-taking, with the recruiter before the interview. Deloitte US also advises raising accessibility needs in advance. Contact the recruiter early to agree on the permitted setup, especially if a general no-AI or no-recording rule could apply to the tool you need.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsWhat information should you keep out of AI tools?
Do not paste confidential employer or client information, secure assessment questions, or other sensitive material into an AI system unless the employer has explicitly authorized an appropriate secure process. The Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission specifically warns against entering assessment material or confidential or sensitive information. Bumble also addresses protecting interview and assessment material in its candidate guidance.
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