Artificial intelligence (AI) is bringing office interviews back. Several major companies are reinstating in-person interviews after reports surfaced that job seekers were misusing AI during virtual hiring processes.
According to a Wall Street Journal report, recruiters are increasingly concerned about candidates using AI tools to cheat in online interviews, as well as impersonating others to steal data or money. The problem is especially visible in software engineering and programming roles, many of which are remote. Recruiters say some applicants are completing coding tests with real-time AI assistance off-camera.
Tech giants tighten hiring practices
Companies such as Google, Cisco, and McKinsey are reintroducing at least one face-to-face interview stage.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai told the Lex Fridman Podcast in June, “We are making sure we’ll introduce at least one round of in-person interviews for people, just to make sure the fundamentals are there.”
AI-powered job scam
While companies have used software for applicant screening for years, today’s AI tools allow job seekers to mass-apply, generate applications instantly, and even deepfake their way into interviews. This technology enables unqualified candidates, or outright scammers, to gain an unfair advantage.
The FBI recently warned of North Korean operatives posing as Americans to secure remote US jobs. A Gartner survey of 3,000 job seekers revealed that 6 per cent admitted to interview fraud, and the firm predicts that by 2028, one in four job-candidate profiles worldwide could be fake.
How companies are fighting back
Employers are deploying new tools to combat fraud, from digital background checks to deepfake detection.
Sometimes, just announcing an in-person round is enough to deter suspicious candidates.
As Cisco’s Chief People Officer Kelly Jones shared, “It’s happened where people just go quiet after that. We’ve done it a few times where we’ve had a candidate get to the final stages, and there’s just something that feels off.”
