An AI interview is one in which software, not a person, asks the questions, scores the answers, or both. A common version is the one-way video interview: you record answers to set questions, and a program analyzes them before a recruiter looks. Prepare as you would for a structured interview, with specific, well-organized answers that finish inside the time limit.
Before you start, read what the employer tells you about how the tool is used. In a few places, including Illinois, Maryland and New York City, the law gives candidates specific rights to notice or consent.
Key takeaways
- “AI interview” covers three things: a recorded interview, software that scores your answers, and a chatbot or voice agent that interviews you.
- You usually cannot see what the software measures. Read the notice and ask the recruiter.
- Each answer has to stand alone. Put the point first, give one example and state the result.
- Do not read a script or stuff in keywords. Speak in plain, complete sentences.
- For positions based in Illinois, an employer that uses AI to analyze a recorded video interview must notify you, explain how it works and get your consent.
- If a disability affects how you would perform in the format, ask for an accommodation before you begin.
01
What is an AI interview?
| Type | What you experience | Who or what evaluates it |
|---|---|---|
| One-way recorded interview | Set questions on screen, a countdown, then a timed recording of your answer | People on the hiring team, watching later |
| AI-scored interview | The same recording process | Software rates or ranks the answers; a recruiter typically sees the result and can review the recording |
| AI-led interview | A chatbot, voice agent or avatar asks questions and may ask follow-ups based on what you say | Software produces a transcript, a summary or a score for the hiring team |
From your side of the screen, the first two look identical. You only know that software is scoring you if the employer tells you, which is why the notice matters. The recording setup itself is covered in the video interview guide, and screening that happens before any interview is covered in AI resume screening.
02
What does an AI interview assess?
It depends on the product and on how the employer configured it. Scoring is typically built around what you say, compared with the competencies the employer chose for the job. Analysis of the video itself, and not only of your words, is what the Illinois and Maryland laws below regulate.
Because you cannot inspect the tool, ask. For AI-analyzed video interviews, Illinois requires employers to explain how the AI works and what general types of characteristics it uses to evaluate applicants. That is a reasonable thing to ask an employer anywhere.
Subject: Question about the online interview for [job title] Hi [Name], Thank you for the invitation to complete the online interview. Before I start, could you tell me: 1. Is software used to analyze or score my answers? If so, what does it evaluate? 2. Will a person on the hiring team also review my responses? 3. How long are recordings kept, and who can see them? I'm glad to complete it once I understand the process. Best regards, [Your name]
03
How to prepare for an AI interview
- Read everything first. The invitation and any notice or consent screen tell you the deadline, the number of questions, the time allowed, whether you can re-record and whether software is involved.
- Predict the questions. They are usually drawn from the job description. For each main requirement, prepare one example using the STAR method.
- Lead with the answer. State your point in the first sentence, give the example, then the result. Nobody is there to pull a buried point out of you.
- Use the job’s vocabulary where it is true. Name the tools, the methods and the outcomes. Do not list keywords you cannot support.
- Speak clearly and steadily. Complete sentences, a quiet room and a decent microphone help both a transcript and a human listener.
- Rehearse on camera with a timer. Record two or three answers and watch them back. The mock interview guide has a scoring sheet.
- Finish well before the deadline. If the platform fails, take a screenshot and contact the employer right away.
With a conversational AI interviewer, behave as you would with a person. Answer the question that was asked, ask it to repeat or rephrase if you need to, and correct it plainly if it has misunderstood you. Do not try to manipulate it; a recruiter may read the transcript.
Do not use an AI tool to generate answers during the interview. Text read aloud sounds read, and an employer may treat it as cheating. Using one beforehand to practice is different; how to use AI in your job search covers that.
04
What rights do you have in an AI interview?
A few states and cities have rules written specifically for AI in hiring. These are examples as of October 2026, not a complete list.
| Where | What the law provides |
|---|---|
| Illinois, for positions based in Illinois | Under the Artificial Intelligence Video Interview Act, an employer that asks you to record a video interview and uses AI to analyze it must first notify you, explain how the AI works and what general types of characteristics it evaluates, and obtain your consent. It may not use AI to evaluate you without that consent. Videos may be shared only with people whose expertise or technology is needed to evaluate you, and if you ask, the employer must delete them within 30 days and tell anyone who holds copies to do the same. |
| Illinois | Since January 1, 2026, the Illinois Human Rights Act makes it a civil rights violation for an employer to use AI in decisions such as recruitment and hiring in a way that has the effect of discriminating on a protected basis, or to use AI for those decisions without giving notice. |
| Maryland | An employer may not use a facial recognition service to create a facial template during your interview unless you consent by signing a waiver. |
| New York City | Under Local Law 144, employers and employment agencies may not use an automated employment decision tool unless it has had a bias audit within the past year, information about the audit is public, and candidates have been given notice. The city says the notice must come 10 business days before the tool is used. |
| United States | Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, employers must provide reasonable accommodation so that you can be considered for a job, including giving tests in a format that does not depend on an impaired skill unless that skill is what the test measures. |
The laws point to the same habits: read the notice, ask what is being evaluated, and keep a copy of what you were told. The Illinois act does not say that an employer must offer another kind of interview if you withhold consent, so ask about alternatives before you decline.
05
How to ask for an accommodation or another format
The EEOC’s guidance for applicants is to tell the employer as soon as you realize you will need an accommodation for the hiring process. For a recorded or AI-run interview, that could mean more time per answer, written responses, captions, or a live conversation with a person.
Subject: Accommodation request: [job title] interview Hi [Name], I'm looking forward to interviewing for the [job title] role. I have a disability that affects how I perform in a timed, recorded video format, and I'd like to request a reasonable accommodation: [a live interview by phone or video / additional time for each answer / written responses]. Please let me know what you need from me to arrange this. Thank you, [Your name]
If you simply prefer a human interviewer, you can ask for one, politely and early. The employer may say no.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if AI is scoring my interview?
Often you cannot tell from the interview itself. Look for a notice or consent screen, and ask the recruiter whether software analyzes or scores your answers and whether a person also reviews them. For positions based in Illinois, employers that use AI to analyze recorded video interviews must notify applicants beforehand.
Can I refuse an AI interview?
You can ask for a different format, and you should ask early. For positions based in Illinois, an employer may not use AI to evaluate your recorded video interview unless you consent, but the law does not require it to offer an alternative. If a disability is the reason, request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
What does the Illinois Artificial Intelligence Video Interview Act require?
For positions based in Illinois, an employer that asks applicants to record video interviews and uses AI to analyze them must notify each applicant, explain how the AI works and what general types of characteristics it evaluates, and get consent before the interview. It must limit sharing of the videos and delete them within 30 days of an applicant’s request.
Can I ask an employer to delete my interview video?
In Illinois, yes, for AI-analyzed video interviews covered by the Artificial Intelligence Video Interview Act: the employer must delete the video within 30 days of your request and instruct others who received copies to delete them. Elsewhere, ask the employer how long recordings are kept; your rights depend on local privacy law.
Do AI interviews analyze your face or voice?
It depends on the product and the employer’s settings, and you cannot verify it from the outside. Ask what the tool evaluates. Maryland requires a signed waiver before facial recognition is used to create a facial template in an interview, and Illinois requires employers to explain what general types of characteristics their AI uses.
Sources
- Illinois General Assembly: Artificial Intelligence Video Interview Act (820 ILCS 42): notice, explanation, consent, limits on sharing and deletion on request for AI-analyzed video interviews for positions based in Illinois.
- Illinois General Assembly: Public Act 103-0804: the Illinois Human Rights Act amendment on AI in employment decisions, effective January 1, 2026.
- Maryland General Assembly: Labor and Employment § 3-717: consent by signed waiver before facial recognition is used in a job interview.
- NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection: Automated Employment Decision Tools: the bias audit and notice requirements of Local Law 144.
- EEOC: Job Applicants and the ADA: reasonable accommodation in the hiring process and the format of tests.
Published by Jobbie and last updated on October 6, 2026. This guide is general information for job seekers, not legal, tax or financial advice. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.