Roughly 22 percent of candidates are already using AI during real‑time interviews, according to a new survey.
isn't just helping candidates write resumes or cover letters. A growing number of job seekers say they are actively using AI during live job interviews, according to a new survey.
The 2026 Job Seeker Insights Report from Resume Genius, based on responses from 1,000 active U.S. job seekers, found that 22 percent of candidates are already using AI during real‑time interviews. , the use of AI reveals tensions between employers and candidates over what constitutes fair play. As companies increasingly use AI to filter applicants or conduct one‑way video interviews, job seekers are responding in kind.
The new report shows AI adoption is widespread across the job search process, but its presence in interviews marks a more controversial shift. Overall, 78 percent of job seekers say they use AI tools at some point in their job search, including for resume writing, job applications, and interview preparation. But nearly a quarter say they have taken that a step further by relying on AI while speaking with recruiters or hiring managers.
Resume Genius did not specify exactly which tools candidates were using during interviews, but AI platforms that can provide real‑time prompts, talking points, or suggested answers have become increasingly accessible. Job seekers also said the hiring environment in 2026 is highly competitive and emotionally draining, and this could be pushing many to use whatever tools they believe might help them stand out.
According to the Resume Genius survey, 55 percent of job seekers say their biggest frustration is being ghosted after applying Meanwhile, 49 percent say job searching has negatively affected their mental health, and 67 percent say they have encountered fake or misleading job postings. As a result, experts say candidates may view AI not as unethical assistance but as a way to level the playing field in a process already stacked against them.
“Honestly, that 22 percent figure is probably low. But employers built this. Companies spent the last decade automating empathy out of their businesses and the last few years removing people from the hiring process,” HR consultant Bryan Driscoll told“One-way video interviews, AI-screened resumes, automated rejection emails from an unmonitored address. You could argue candidates are automating authenticity out of their side but I'd argue it's necessary to compete with an AI interviewer.
Interviews can quickly turn into two algorithms talking to each other. It shouldn't surprise HR leaders that they get nothing useful. ”However, while candidates use AI more than ever, they are also deeply worried about its long‑term impact. The survey found that 80 percent of job seekers fear AI will eventually replace jobs in their field, even as many admit relying on the technology themselves.
A key difference lies in AI interview use, however. Unlike resume software or interview prep tools, real‑time interview assistance is in a gray area between preparation and misrepresentation.
“The impact is that interviews are starting to resemble open-book environments. Candidates are no longer evaluated purely on recall or immediate reasoning, but on how effectively they can use tools to communicate and make decisions under pressure,” Alex Samuels, the PR manager for Use. AI, told “Longer term, this raises a more structural question for hiring: whether we’re measuring independent thinking, or AI fluency.
” There were several other ways candidates said they bend the rules under pressure as well, according to Resume Genius. Roughly 36 percent of job seekers say they have lied during an interview, and 36 percent say they have “skills manifested” or listed abilities they do not yet have. Hiring experts say AI‑assisted interviews will likely force employers to reconsider how interviews are conducted and evaluated.
And as AI tools become harder to detect, companies may place greater emphasis on practical assessments or in‑person interviews. Or they may simply accept that AI is now part of the modern workplace skill set.
“If your interview can be passed by ChatGPT in real time, you're not interviewing effectively,” Driscoll said. “Canned questions, behavioral questions, those are functionally dead. What still works is structured work samples, paid trial projects, and unscripted conversations with people who actually work together. ”
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