Can I use AI in my interview? Only the employer can answer that, so ask your recruiter directly, ideally on the recruiter prep call, round by round, and get the answer in writing. Most published policies welcome AI for preparation, such as research, résumé polishing and practice with an AI interview assistant, and limit or ban it while you're being interviewed unless the company says otherwise.
This guide covers when to ask, five scripts you can adapt, how to read the policy wording you'll get back and what to do with each answer. The company examples come from our sourced list of companies that allow AI in interviews, checked on each company's own careers pages in October 2026. For the bigger picture, see the state of AI interview assistants in 2026.
Why ask about an employer's AI policy, and when?
Because the rules differ by company and by round, and guessing wrong in either direction costs you. A few published examples show the range:
- Anthropic says live interviews are "all you," with no AI assistance unless it indicates otherwise (candidate AI guidance, updated July 10, 2025).
- GitLab asks you to disclose which AI tools you used, cite AI in take-homes and not read AI-produced answers in interviews (GitLab jobs).
- IBM permits AI for interview prep and mock role plays, and prohibits it during live interviews or real-time assessments (IBM Careers).
- Canva expects engineering candidates to use AI in its AI-assisted coding interview, and tells them in advance.
Employers are being told to spell this out. Gartner's July 31, 2025 release on candidate trust says employers "should explain to candidates how they define acceptable use of AI" (Gartner). Many still don't, so asking is normal, and it signals that you take the rules seriously.
When to ask:
- On the recruiter prep call before an onsite or final loop, when you're already asking about format. Our guide to the recruiter prep call before an onsite lists what else to cover.
- When the schedule arrives, if it lists rounds but says nothing about AI.
- Before you start a take-home, because disclosure rules usually apply there first.
- When an invitation mentions an AI interviewer or AI scoring. In a 3Q25 Gartner survey of 254 candidates, just 31% were told in advance that they'd have an AI-led interview (Gartner, June 18, 2026). Ask what it evaluates and whether a human alternative exists.
5 scripts to ask a recruiter about AI use (examples we wrote)
These are examples we wrote for this guide. Keep the tone neutral and specific: you're asking what the rules are, not asking for an exception.
1. Email after you receive the schedule
"Thanks for sending the schedule. Could you confirm the policy on AI tools for each round? In particular, is any round AI-assisted, with a tool you provide, and is AI allowed for the take-home if there is one? I'd like to prepare the right way for each step."
2. On the recruiter prep call
"One quick question on format: does the team have a policy on AI tools? I use AI to practice beforehand, and I want to make sure I know what's expected in each round."
3. Before a take-home assignment
"Before I start the take-home: may I use AI tools for research or code, and if so, how would you like me to disclose it? I'm happy to include a short note on what I used and why."
4. When a round is AI-led or AI-scored
"The invitation mentions an AI interview. Could you tell me what it evaluates, whether a person reviews the results and whether a live interview with someone on the team is an option?"
5. If you use assistive technology
"I use [assistive technology] because of a disability. How do I request this as an accommodation for each round?" Accommodations are a separate process from AI policies; Match Group's policy, for example, says its AI rules don't restrict assistive technology used as a disability accommodation.
More questions worth asking on the same call are in our list of questions to ask a recruiter.
How to read typical AI interview policy wording
Answers tend to fall into a handful of patterns. Here is how to read each one.
| Wording you might get | What it usually means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| "AI is welcome for preparation" | Research, résumé polishing and practice are fine; the interview itself is not covered | Prepare with AI; assume no outside help in the interview unless told otherwise |
| "No AI assistance unless we indicate otherwise" | Every round is AI-free by default | Ask whether any round is an exception, then prepare without one |
| "AI tools are not permitted during interviews" | A clear ban during interviews (Google's hiring page says this) | Practice beforehand and answer on your own on the day |
| "Disclose which tools you used" | Allowed with disclosure, usually for take-homes or assessments | Keep a running note of tools and where you used them |
| "Don't read AI-produced answers" | The interview should sound like you, even where AI is allowed elsewhere | Rehearse stories until you can tell them without notes |
| "Use the AI assistant provided in this round" | AI is part of that round only, through the employer's tool (Canva's AI-assisted coding interview is an example) | Practice directing an AI and reviewing its output; other rounds keep the general rule |
| No answer, or "we don't have a policy" | Silence is not permission | Follow up once in writing; until you hear otherwise, assume no outside help during interviews |
Policies change and can vary by team, so the instructions in your invitation and from your recruiter always win over any published page, including ours.
What should you do with each answer?
- Preparation allowed, interviews AI-free. This is the most common pattern in our sourced list. Put your AI time into practice before the day: likely questions from the job description, STAR stories with numbers, and spoken mock rounds with feedback.
- Disclosed use allowed. Keep a short log as you work: the tool, what you asked it and what you changed. Be ready to explain every decision, because the reviewer will ask.
- AI expected in a named round. Practice the workflow that round grades: state your plan first, give the tool small, clear tasks, review every line and explain what you kept. Permission for that round doesn't carry over to the behavioral or system design rounds.
- An AI-led round. Prepare complete, structured spoken answers. Our guides to what an AI interviewer is and how to pass an AI interview cover the formats. Take the interview yourself and follow the employer's rules.
- No clear answer. Treat every interview and assessment as AI-free and prepare accordingly.
For any live use of a tool, the rule is simple: follow the rules of the employer or platform you're interviewing with. Many people use an assistant only to practice, which works on the free plan.
Mistakes to avoid when asking
- Asking too late. The morning of the interview leaves no time to adjust your preparation. Ask when the schedule arrives.
- Asking only once for the whole loop. Rules often differ between a take-home, an AI-assisted coding round and a behavioral interview. Ask round by round.
- Asking the interviewer mid-round. It puts them on the spot and eats your time. The recruiter is the right person.
- Treating a vague answer as a yes. "It should be fine" is not a policy. Ask for the rule in writing.
- Over-explaining. A one-line question reads as professional. A paragraph about which tools you might use reads as worry.
Practice it: prepare with an AI interview assistant
Practice before the interview is the use published policies most often welcome, so make it count. Rehearse out loud, the way the interview will happen, and track what you fix.
- Build your stories. Draft 6 to 8 STAR stories with a measurable result each, using the free STAR story builder.
- Run a scored mock. CoPilot Interview, an AI interview assistant for Windows and Mac, has a Mock Interview mode that builds questions from your résumé and the job description, reads each one aloud and scores your spoken answer out of 10 with what to fix and a model answer, then a report card.
- Fix one thing per round. Re-answer your lowest-scoring question in your own words before moving on.
- Use the browser version on the go. The free AI mock interview has 113 real questions across 9 tracks and nothing to install.
If you're comparing general chatbots for this step, see ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini for interview prep. For the employer's side of the question, read what recruiters think about candidates using AI, and for the wider data, our AI in hiring statistics for 2026.
Practice before you ask, and after
Answer real interview questions out loud and get a score out of 10, what to fix and a model answer. Free in your browser, no signup.
Try a free AI mock interviewFAQ
Can I use AI in my job interview?
Only if the employer allows it in that round. Most published policies welcome AI for preparation and limit or ban it during interviews unless they say otherwise, and a few companies build AI into a specific round. Ask your recruiter and get the answer in writing.
Is it OK to ask a recruiter whether AI is allowed?
Yes. Recruiters field questions about format all the time, and Gartner has advised employers to explain how they define acceptable use of AI. Keep the question short and ask about each round.
When should I ask about an AI policy?
When the interview schedule arrives or on the recruiter prep call, and again before any take-home assignment. Asking early gives you time to prepare the right way for each round.
What if the company has no AI policy?
Don't treat silence as permission. Follow up once in writing, and until you hear otherwise, assume no outside help during interviews or assessments. AI for practice beforehand is still yours to use.
Does permission for one round cover the whole interview loop?
No. Permission is usually tied to one round and often to the employer's own tool, such as an AI-assisted coding interview. The other rounds follow the company's general rule.
Can I use an AI interview assistant to practice?
Yes. Practicing before the interview is the use published employer policies most often welcome. CoPilot Interview's free plan includes Mock Interview, which scores each spoken answer out of 10 with what to fix and a model answer.