AI is now part of almost every job search. In a Greenhouse survey of US job seekers published in October 2026, 77% said they had used AI in their search in the past year (Greenhouse). The question is no longer whether to use it, but where.
The short answer: before the interview, AI is a normal preparation tool. During the interview, it's the employer's call, and the default is no. This guide explains that line, what to say if you're asked about AI, and what your rights are when it's the employer using AI to assess you.
Before the interview: AI as a preparation tool
Used before the interview, AI does what a good coach or a well-organized friend would do, only faster.
Research the company. Ask an AI assistant to summarize what the company does, its products, its recent news and the likely priorities of the team you'd join. Then check the important facts on the company's own site: AI can be confidently wrong, and quoting a wrong fact in an interview is worse than quoting none.
Practise likely questions. Paste in the job posting and ask for the ten questions you're most likely to get, including the awkward ones. Then answer them out loud, not in the chat window.
Polish your stories. Write your examples in your own words first, then use AI to tighten them into the STAR structure (Situation, Task, Action, Result) explained in our interview preparation guide. The experiences must be yours; AI can help with the order and the length, not the content.
Tailor your resume and cover letter. Matching your resume and letter to each job is where AI saves the most time. Keep everything accurate: every line can turn into an interview question. Our guide to an ATS-friendly resume covers the format. If you use Jobra, it writes a tailored resume and cover letter for each job it applies to, so before an interview, reread exactly what was sent: the interviewer will have it in front of them.
Employers that publish candidate guidance tend to agree with this. Anthropic encourages candidates to use its AI to research the company, practise answers and prepare questions, and asks them to write the first draft of their application themselves and use AI to refine it (Anthropic). Greenhouse calls using AI to help build a resume or cover letter standard practice, as long as the materials accurately reflect your experience (Greenhouse).
During the interview: only if the employer allows it
During a live interview, the default is the opposite. The interview exists to see how you think, and AI answering for you defeats the point. Both employers above say so explicitly: Anthropic says no AI assistance in live interviews unless it indicates otherwise, and Greenhouse asks candidates not to use AI to supplement their performance in a live interview unless instructed or agreed in advance.
But “during the interview” isn't one thing, and some employers now build AI into parts of the process. Amazon says some of its technical assessments let candidates work with an interactive AI assistant on a real coding platform, mirroring how its engineers work (Amazon). Greenhouse encourages AI in some work assessments but asks for submissions that reflect your own thinking, not unedited AI output.
So when in doubt, ask, in writing and before the interview: “Are AI tools allowed in the technical exercise? If so, which ones, and should I explain how I used them?” Asking shows you take the rules seriously. Using live “answer” software without permission is a different matter, with real risks; we explain them in AI interview overlay tools.
| Before the interview | During the interview | |
|---|---|---|
| Research the company | Generally fine; check facts on the company's site | Not applicable |
| Practise questions | Generally fine and widely encouraged | No, unless the employer allows it |
| Resume and cover letter | Generally fine if every detail is true | Not applicable |
| Live answers | Not applicable | No, unless the employer explicitly allows it |
| Take-home or technical tasks | Follow the instructions for that task | Follow the instructions; ask if unclear |
What to say if you're asked whether you used AI
Some interviewers ask the question directly. The best answer is short, specific and true.
For written material: “I wrote the first draft myself and used AI to tighten it.” If a tool wrote a first draft for you, say that instead: you can then talk through what you changed and why. What you shouldn't do is deny AI use you did, or claim experience a tool invented. Greenhouse's guidelines, for example, say it does not tolerate misrepresentation of job-related skills.
Being open also helps you: it shows you use the tools sensibly, and it moves the conversation back to your actual work.
When the employer uses AI on you
AI goes both ways. In the same Greenhouse survey of US job seekers, nearly half (48%) said they had taken an AI interview in the past year. Employers use AI to screen resumes, run recorded video interviews and score assessments. Some rules give you rights when that happens.
New York City. Local Law 144 bars employers and employment agencies from using an automated employment decision tool unless it has had a bias audit within one year before use; a summary of the results must be public, and candidates must be given notice. The city's consumer and worker protection department has enforced it since 5 July 2023 (NYC DCWP).
Illinois. The Artificial Intelligence Video Interview Act says that before asking applicants to record video interviews that AI will analyze, the employer must tell them AI may be used, explain how it works and what general characteristics it uses, and get their consent; it may not use AI to evaluate applicants who haven't consented (820 ILCS 42/5).
Colorado. In May 2026 Colorado repealed and reenacted its 2024 AI law with SB26-189, which covers automated decision-making technology used in consequential decisions, employment included, with consumer notices and a right to request human review after an adverse outcome (Colorado General Assembly).
United Kingdom. The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 changed the UK GDPR rules on automated decision-making: organizations can make solely automated significant decisions in wider circumstances, but must give people information about those decisions and let them make representations, obtain human intervention and challenge the decision (GOV.UK; ICO draft guidance). In a November 2024 report on audits of AI recruitment tools, the ICO found features that let recruiters filter out candidates with certain protected characteristics, and tools that inferred gender or ethnicity from an application or even a name; it made 296 recommendations (ICO).
Ireland and the EU. Article 22 of the GDPR gives you the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing that significantly affects you, with some exceptions, and in those cases at least the right to human intervention, to express your view and to contest the decision (GDPR). The EU AI Act lists AI systems used for recruitment or selection, including filtering applications and evaluating candidates, as high-risk (Annex III, point 4); those rules apply from 2 December 2027 (AI Act Service Desk).
In practice, you can ask the recruiter whether AI is used to assess you, how a human is involved, and how to request a review. If you have a disability and an AI-scored format puts you at a disadvantage, you can ask for an adjustment; our guide to interview anxiety explains how adjustments work in the UK and the US.
Frequently asked questions
Is it OK to use AI to prepare for a job interview?
Yes. Researching the company, practising questions, structuring your stories and tailoring your resume with AI is common, and several employers say so in their candidate guidance. Check the facts and keep every example true and your own.
Can I use AI during a live interview?
Only if the employer explicitly allows it. Anthropic and Greenhouse, for example, say no AI assistance in live interviews unless they indicate or agree otherwise. If you're unsure, ask the recruiter in writing beforehand.
Should I admit I used AI on my resume?
If you're asked, yes, and briefly: say what you used it for and that the content is yours. Never claim experience a tool invented; every line of your resume can become an interview question.
Can an employer use AI to reject me?
It depends where you are. In the EU, GDPR article 22 limits decisions based solely on automated processing; in the UK, the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 changed the rules, but you still have rights to information, human intervention and to challenge such decisions. New York City requires bias audits and notice for automated hiring tools.
What if an AI video interview puts me at a disadvantage?
Ask how it works and whether a human reviews the results. If you have a disability, ask for a reasonable adjustment or accommodation, such as a live interview with a person instead.