How HR Professionals can manage AI use by Candidates during Interviews

As a Fractional HR Director supporting the acquisition of talent within my clients’ organizations, I’ve experienced a significant uptake in candidates’ use of AI during virtual interviews over the last couple of months. How do I know?  Candidates’ responses come with a slight delay; eye contact drifts down or to the side of their screen to read a robotic answer to my interview questions.  The experience feels unfamiliar and unauthentic.

Other HR professionals are seeing the same pattern and raising similar concerns. The underlying question has become: 

How should HR and Hiring Managers handle AI use during interviews in a way that preserves fairness, equity, authenticity, and confidence in the process?

Here are our idea on how HR and hiring teams can thoughtfully approach AI use by candidates.

1. Setting Clear AI Expectations for the Interview Process

As AI tools become more accessible, HR professionals are increasingly encountering candidates who use generative AI during interviews. Rather than addressing concerns reactively, organizations are finding greater success by setting expectations clearly and proactively.

One of the most effective first steps is defining your position on AI use in hiring. Transparency helps establish boundaries while reinforcing fairness and integrity.

Clear expectations around AI use:

• Signal what is acceptable and why
• Prevent misunderstandings
• Demonstrate respect for candidates’ professionalism
• Protect the integrity of the interview process

Many organizations are now formalizing their approach through written AI usage guidelines. These policies typically outline:

• Acceptable AI use during preparation, such as resume editing or mock interview practice
• Prohibited use during live interviews or assessments
• Whether disclosure is required
• Consequences for undisclosed or inappropriate use

Some employers permit AI assistance in preparing application materials but clearly require that interview responses reflect the candidate’s own thinking, judgment, and communication skills.

A sample statement on a job posting might read:

“The use of generative AI tools, including ChatGPT or similar software, during virtual or on-site interviews or assessments is not permitted unless explicitly stated. Interviews are intended to assess a candidate’s own skills, experience, and communication abilities.”

Including this language in job postings, interview invitations, and candidate guidelines removes ambiguity before the interview even begins.

2. Address It Respectfully in the Moment

If you notice behaviour that suggests AI use (like consistent eye drift, unnatural pauses, or overly polished but shallow answers) it’s okay to raise it professionally and respectfully.

One approach is to simply address what you’re observing. For example, say something like:

“I noticed your attention is off-screen at times. I’d like us both to focus on our conversation. Would you mind closing other tabs or tools so we can connect directly?”

This kind of statement:

• is calm and direct
• invites the candidate to reset the interaction
• reinforces your values for genuine dialogue

It’s worth noting that candidates may not be intentionally deceptive. Some simply feel less confident without a “crutch”. By inviting authenticity, you’re giving them a fair chance to demonstrate their true voice.

3. Shift Your Questioning Strategy

AI tools can often generate polished (but generic) stories. To counter this and better reveal human judgement, ask follow-up questions like:

• “Why would you choose that approach?”
• “What would change if X factor was different?”
• “Whom did you work with on the project and what was your role on that team?”

AI tends to generate complete but superficial answers that lack nuanced context or adaptability. Candidates relying on it often struggle when follow-ups change the parameters mid-stream.

4. Focus on Authentic Competencies, Not Polished Speech

AI tools might help candidates craft grammatically perfect answers. But HR’s job is not to hire polished speakers. It’s to assess:

• real experience
• critical thinking
• situational judgment
• communication under pressure

When interview questions are tightly tied to the specific role, context, and real scenarios the candidate would face, generic AI answers become obvious and less useful. A well-crafted interview focuses on depth over polish and thinking over scripting.

Final Thoughts

AI isn’t going away, and candidates will continue to use tools that help them present their best selves. As HR professionals, we need to adapt — not by ignoring the trend, but by:

• defining clear expectations
• preserving authentic human assessment
• designing interviews that highlight judgement and depth
• and creating policies that respect fairness and transparency

In our experience, addressing AI use directly and respectfully (rather than ignoring it) makes the hiring process stronger and more effective for everyone involved.