If your interviewers use an AI copilot during interviews, candidates should know before the interview starts, in plain words, with a way to ask questions and, where the law or decency requires it, an alternative. Most employers who adopt these tools get the notice wrong in one of two directions: a legal paragraph nobody reads, or nothing at all. This page gives notice wording for the invitation, a consent script for the start of the interview, a plain-terms summary of the rules in the places that have them, what to offer as an alternative process, and the data facts to state. It is not legal advice; the rules on automated tools in hiring vary by jurisdiction and are changing, and counsel should review your notice for the places you hire in.
Notice wording for the invitation
Put it in the interview invitation, not in a policy linked from a footer. For a copilot used as a note-taking and scoring aid by a human interviewer:
"During your interview, the interviewer will use a software tool that transcribes the conversation and helps them take structured notes and score your answers against the criteria for the role. The interviewer asks the questions, makes the assessment and the hiring decision; the tool does not decide anything. The audio is transcribed as the conversation happens and is not stored by the tool; a text transcript is kept by the interviewer as part of your application record. If you have questions about this, or would prefer an interview without the tool, reply to this email and we will arrange it."
Adjust the data sentence to your actual tool; the facts for CoPilot Interview's Interviewer Mode are below. The difference between a copilot that aids a human interviewer and an automated system that scores recorded answers matters for both the notice and the law, and AI interview notes vs meeting summaries for scorecards explains which category each tool falls into.
A consent script for the start of the interview
- "Before we start: as the invitation mentioned, I am using a tool that transcribes our conversation and helps me take notes and score against the criteria. I ask the questions and make the assessment; it does not decide anything. Is that all right with you?"
- If yes: "Thank you. If at any point you want me to stop it, just say so."
- If no: "No problem at all. I will take notes by hand and we will proceed exactly the same way." Then do, and do not record the refusal as anything other than a preference.
- If they ask what happens to the transcript: state the data facts below in one sentence and offer to send them in writing.
- If they ask whether the tool affects their chances: "The criteria and the questions are the same for every candidate; the tool helps me apply them consistently. The decision is mine and the panel's."
- Keep the whole exchange under a minute; a long preamble makes the tool seem larger than it is.
The rules, in plain terms
| Place | What the rules concern, broadly | What it means for a copilot |
|---|---|---|
| New York City | Automated tools that substantially assist or replace hiring decisions: bias audits and candidate notice | A note-taking and scoring aid used by a human who decides is a different thing from an automated decision tool, but the line depends on how you use it; counsel should assess your setup |
| Illinois | AI analysis of recorded video interviews: notice, explanation and consent | If your copilot analyses recorded video of candidates, these rules are squarely relevant; a live transcription aid is different, and counsel should confirm |
| European Union | AI systems used in employment are a regulated category with obligations phasing in for providers and deployers | Expect transparency and human-oversight obligations; document that a human assesses and decides |
| Other US states and cities | A growing set of notice, consent and audit rules | Check each location you hire in; defaults of notice, consent and an alternative satisfy most |
| Everywhere | Data protection and anti-discrimination law | Transcripts are personal data; scores must rest on job-related criteria |
The candidate-facing summary of these rules is in AI interview laws and candidate rights; a candidate who has read it will expect the notice above. The fairness argument for structured, scored interviews, which is the strongest reason to use a copilot well, is in AI interview copilots, diversity and fair assessment.
The alternative process, and the data facts
- Offer an interview without the tool, run by the same interviewer with the same questions and the same rubric on paper. Make it genuinely equivalent; a worse alternative is not an alternative.
- Do not ask why. A preference is enough, and recording the refusal anywhere other than scheduling is a mistake.
- State the data facts accurately. For CoPilot Interview's Interviewer Mode: audio is streamed for transcription in short segments and not stored on CoPilot Interview's servers, the transcript stays in the interviewer's Documents folder, and only the transcribed text goes to the model chosen. The report the interviewer exports is a document in your hiring record and subject to your retention and access rules.
- Give candidates a contact for questions and answer them within a day.
- Train interviewers to say the script naturally; a mumbled notice undermines the trust it is meant to build.
- Review the notice with counsel for each jurisdiction you hire in, and again when the rules change, which they do.
Where CoPilot Interview fits
CoPilot Interview is an AI interview assistant for candidates and, in Interviewer Mode, a copilot for interviewers that offers role-specific questions by category, live rubric scoring with evidence notes, follow-up question ideas, red and green flags as hypotheses, and a hire/no-hire report with section scores, flags and quotes, free in the desktop app for Windows and macOS with no signup, with team plans that add volume licensing, centralised billing, SSO/SAML, custom templates per role, a centralised evaluation dashboard and priority onboarding. Because we tell candidates on this site to follow your employer's rules about tools, we think employers owe candidates the same plainness about theirs; the notice and script above are what we would want to receive.
Disclosure: CoPilot Interview is our product, so weigh what we say about it accordingly.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to tell candidates I use an AI interview copilot?
In several jurisdictions, yes, with specific requirements; everywhere, you should. Put a plain-language notice in the invitation and a one-minute consent script at the start of the interview, and offer an equivalent alternative.
What should the notice say?
What the tool does, that the interviewer asks, assesses and decides, what happens to the audio and transcript, and how to ask questions or request an interview without it.
Is a live note-taking copilot the same as an automated hiring tool under the law?
Not necessarily; a human-operated scoring aid differs from a system that decides or analyses recorded video, but the line depends on how you use it. This page is not legal advice; counsel should assess your setup for each place you hire.
What if a candidate declines?
Run the same interview with the same questions and rubric on paper, do not ask why, and do not record the refusal as anything but a scheduling preference.
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Role-specific questions, live rubric scoring with evidence notes and a structured report at the end of the call. Free in the desktop app for Windows and macOS, no signup.
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