Using AI in a technical interview: ask first

Juan Molina ·

Employers are split on AI in interviews and increasingly watch for misuse. What senior candidates should ask before the session, and what interviewers say they value.

You are in a remote technical interview, an assistant is open in another window, and nobody told you whether you may use it. For a senior candidate, guessing wrong here can end a process that was going well. The rules are not the same from company to company, so the safest move is to ask.

Employers do not agree on the rules

CoderPad's State of Tech Hiring 2026 surveyed more than 650 developers and recruiters. 34% said their company bans AI in interviews, 29% allow it with constraints, 17% allow it broadly and 20% decide case by case (CoderPad, February 12, 2026). That means two interviews in the same week can have opposite rules.

Employers are also watching more closely. The Guardian reported on October 13, 2026 on a survey by the Institute of Student Employers: 92% of employers had suspected or confirmed misconduct by candidates, 66% had seen AI misuse in interviews and 47% in online assessments (The Guardian, October 13, 2026). That survey covers UK graduate employers, not senior hiring, but it shows how recruiters are starting to read AI use: as a possible integrity problem.

What interviewers say they value

The CoderPad data is more useful for what it says about skill. When AI is available, 66% of respondents said the clearest signal is a candidate who catches and fixes mistakes in AI output, and 56% pointed to explaining the trade-offs behind a solution (CoderPad, February 12, 2026). The format rated most effective was a technical discussion (CoderPad, February 12, 2026).

That is good news for senior people. Your advantage is judgment, not typing speed. An interview that allows AI is often testing whether you can tell when the assistant is wrong, and say why.

How to handle it

Ask the recruiter, in writing, before the technical round: "What is your policy on AI tools during the interview?" It is a normal, professional question. Then follow the answer exactly.

If AI is allowed, use it openly. Say what you are asking it and why, read the output out loud, and point out what you would change before you accept it. Treat it as you would a junior colleague's pull request.

If AI is not allowed, close it. Do not keep it open "just in case". Talk through your reasoning so the interviewer sees how you think, even if you do not finish.

If the policy is unclear on the day, ask the interviewer at the start. Using a tool you were not allowed to use is a much bigger problem than a slower answer.

What to do this week

  • Write a one-line question about AI policy and send it to the recruiter before every technical round.
  • Practice one problem where you use an assistant and narrate how you check its output.
  • Practice one problem without any assistant, explaining trade-offs out loud.
  • Prepare an example from real work where you found and fixed a mistake in AI-generated code.
  • Check that your camera, microphone and identity documents are ready, since many employers now verify identity at the start.