Why companies allow AI in interviews
Engineers use AI assistants every day, and take-home tests lost much of their signal once anyone could generate a solution. Some companies responded by moving to in-person rounds. Others went the opposite way: live, observed sessions where using AI is allowed — so they can watch how you work with it.
In these rounds, the code itself matters less than your judgment: how you break down the problem, what you ask the assistant, how you verify its output and how you explain your decisions.
What interviewers actually measure
- Problem decomposition before you prompt anything.
- Precise, scoped requests instead of “write the whole thing”.
- Reading and testing generated code — and catching its mistakes.
- Knowing when to stop prompting and write it yourself.
- Clear communication about trade-offs and edge cases.
Know the rules of each round
Every company sets its own rules, and they can differ between rounds in the same loop. Always ask at the start: which tools are allowed, can I search documentation, and is the AI assistant allowed for the whole session or only parts of it?
Using AI help in a round where it isn’t allowed is cheating, and companies increasingly detect it. It can end a process — or an employment relationship later. Our coaching prepares you for both formats honestly.
A practice plan
- Solve problems without AI first, so your fundamentals are solid.
- Re-solve the same problems with an assistant, focusing on scoped prompts and verification.
- Write tests for generated code before trusting it.
- Do at least two AI-allowed mock interviews with feedback on your process.
Frequently asked questions
Are AI-allowed interviews easier?
Not really. The bar shifts from producing code to showing judgment, verification and communication — which many candidates find harder.
Should I still practice algorithms?
Yes. Many loops still include rounds without AI, and strong fundamentals are what let you spot AI mistakes quickly.
