Is Using AI in a Job Interview Cheating? Employers Say Misuse Is Rising

If you are applying for jobs this year, or helping a son or daughter who is, AI is probably part of the process somewhere. A new survey of UK graduate employers suggests it is also causing trouble.

The Institute of Student Employers, which represents graduate recruiters in the UK, published its annual Student Recruitment Report this week. It draws on 155 employers, covering more than 1.7 million applications and over 31,000 hires during the 2025/26 recruitment season.

More misconduct than ever

As reported by The Guardian, HRreview and Eastern Eye, 92 per cent of the employers said they had suspected or found some kind of misconduct by applicants. A year earlier it was 85 per cent, and two years earlier 78 per cent.

That figure covers all kinds of misconduct, not only AI. But AI is at the centre of it. The most common problem, reported by two in three employers, was at least one candidate misusing AI during an interview. Note that a single case is enough to count, so this does not mean two in three candidates cheated.

How recruiters say they spot it

Some candidates use apps that listen to an online interview and suggest answers in real time. Chris Morrow, who runs the Manchester recruitment agency Digitalent, told The Guardian the signs are often clear: pauses while the tool comes up with a reply, filler phrases while they wait, and stiff, formal language. He said his agency tends to end the interview when it happens.

That is one recruiter's experience, not a measured result. But it matches what employers describe.

AI is not banned

This is where the story gets more interesting. Employers are not simply against AI. According to the reports, 64 per cent now accept some use of AI in recruitment, up from 46 per cent a year earlier, mainly for help with CVs and cover letters. And 82 per cent now publish guidance on what is acceptable, up from 55 per cent.

So the rules are moving. Using AI to tidy a CV may be fine with one employer. Having an app feed you answers during a live interview almost certainly is not.

Stephen Isherwood, the institute's joint chief executive, put the risk to candidates simply: “If you misrepresent yourself, you could end up doing the wrong job.”

A tough market

The pressure on applicants is real. Graduate hiring rose 4 per cent this year after an 8 per cent fall the year before, and employers expect a further rise. Even so, each graduate vacancy drew an average of 141 applications.

Isherwood told The Guardian that the recent cuts in graduate hiring are down to economic uncertainty rather than automation, and that any effect of AI on graduate jobs is more likely “two or three years down the line”.

What it means

For job seekers, the practical lesson is simple: check each employer's rules on AI before you apply, and keep its use to preparation unless you are told otherwise.

For employers, the survey shows a system under strain. Applications are easier to send in bulk than ever, and both sides are reaching for AI.

AI is on the other side of the table too. In The Age of Intelligence, I described how an AI hiring tool built by Amazon learned to mark down CVs that mentioned women's activities, and was scrapped (Chapter 21, “The Dark Side”). Fairness in hiring cuts both ways: candidates should be honest about their use of AI, and employers should be honest about theirs.

About this story

The full ISE report is available only to members or for a fee, so the figures here are taken from news reports of it. Only figures that more than one report gave the same way are included. The survey covers UK employers, not Ireland.

Sources

• Institute of Student Employers, Student Recruitment Report 2026 (summary page; full report for members or by purchase).
• Dan Milmo, Use of AI in job interviews on the rise, The Guardian, 14 October 2026.
• William Furney, AI misuse in graduate recruitment reaches record high, employers report, HRreview, 14 October 2026.
• Teena Jose, AI cheating in job interviews hits record high as employers warn graduates, Eastern Eye, 14 October 2026.