In this article
Before you start
Why interviewers ask this
Recruiters and interviewers rarely ask this question; candidates do. A related prompt an interviewer might use is "How do you approach a format you have not seen before?" The cost of getting it wrong is practical. A candidate who rehearses live conversation for a recorded, software-scored round loses the chance to practice the format that matters.
A weak answer treats "AI interview" as one thing and prepares generically. A strong answer says which of three kinds applies, names what that kind tests, and says how the rules were confirmed. A Staff-level answer also states the assumption it made when the invitation was vague, and says what it would change if the assumption were wrong.
AI interview from first principles
- AI-judged round
- An AI-judged round is an interview stage in which software asks the questions or scores your recorded answers instead of a person, so preparing for it means practising clear, structured recorded answers rather than live conversation.
In plain words
Picture three doors with the same sign: "AI interview." Behind the first, a machine asks the questions. Behind the second, a person asks them and lets you use a machine. Behind the third, the job itself is about building machines that learn. The analogy breaks in one place. Doors can be told apart by looking, but an invitation email often does not say which door you are standing at.
In one sentence, an AI interview is defined by the role AI plays in the round, and that role sets what is tested and what you should prepare. So the first job is never to memorize answers. It is to work out which door you face, because the same preparation can be right for one door and wasted on another.
Step 1: Find out which of the three kinds of AI interview you face
Read the invitation for clues. A platform link, a "record your answers" instruction or a mention of automated scoring points to the first kind. A line saying you may use an AI assistant points to the second. A job title such as machine learning engineer or AI engineer points to the third. Kinds can combine: a role in AI can start with a recorded screen, and an online assessment can come before an AI-judged screen.
If the message is silent, ask. Send the question in writing, so that the answer is on record.
You now know which door you are at. The next step is what is behind it.
Step 2: Learn what each kind looks like
In an AI-judged round, software asks or scores your recorded answers. Typically you receive a link, run a device and camera check, and may try a practice question. Each prompt then appears with some thinking time and an answer time limit, and some platforms allow retakes. Some formats use a text or voice AI interviewer instead of a recording. Details differ by employer and vendor, so read the platform's candidate help page.
Some places regulate these tools. As of October 2026, New York City requires employers using an automated employment decision tool to have a bias audit within one year of use and to give candidates notice 10 business days before use. The Illinois Artificial Intelligence Video Interview Act requires an employer to notify you, explain how the AI works and what characteristics it uses, and get your consent before the AI analyzes a video interview.
In an AI-allowed round, the test is how you work with the assistant. A strong candidate states a plan, checks the output and owns the result; see the AI-assisted coding interview.
In an AI-role round, the test is machine learning knowledge and design. The AI engineer question set and the forward deployed and applied AI engineer rounds cover them, and company pages such as the Anthropic process and OpenAI questions show how single employers run theirs.
Text description of the diagram
- In an AI-judged round, software asks or scores your recorded answers.
- In an AI-allowed round, the test is how you work with the assistant.
- In an AI-role round, the test is machine learning knowledge and design.
Step 3: Prepare for the format and confirm the rules in writing
Preparation follows the kind. For a recorded round, practice answering aloud to a camera with a visible timer. For an allowed-assistant round, practice narrating your plan while you work. For an AI role, rehearse the ML coding and ML system design topics from the pages above.
Then confirm the rules before the round: which tools are allowed, whether the session is recorded, whether you can retake an answer, and whether notes are acceptable (see notes during a video interview). If you need an accommodation for a disability, ask before the session. In New York City, the candidate notice must include instructions for requesting an alternative selection process or a reasonable accommodation, under the city's rules.
Step-by-step description
- Find which of the three kinds applies.
- Learn what that kind tests.
- Get tools and recording rules in writing.
- The first step is to identify which of the three kinds of AI interview applies.
- Confirm the rules before the round, including tools, recording and retakes.
Knowing it is half the job. Saying it is the other half.
Interview Clozo is an AI interview copilot for real interview rounds: it hears the question and puts a strong answer on your screen, and you say it in your own words. See the features or how it works.
Start Free Trial →The Staff-level answer
What would you expect from an AI interview, and how would you prepare?
It depends on which of three things it means, so I first ask the recruiter in writing. If AI scores recorded answers, I expect timed prompts and I practice on camera. If AI is allowed in a human round, I expect to be judged on how I direct and check the assistant, so I narrate my plan and verify its output. If the role is an AI job, I expect machine learning coding and system design. I also confirm tools, recording and retakes before the round.
What makes it Staff-level: it separates the three meanings, names what each tests, and treats the unclear invitation as something to resolve in writing rather than assume.
The rubric
| Dimension | Weak answer | Strong answer | Staff answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identifying the format | Treats every AI interview as one thing | Names the three kinds and asks which applies | Reads invitation clues, states an assumption if unclear |
| Preparation | Generic question practice | Practice matched to the kind | Matched practice plus a plan if the format differs |
| Rules and fairness | Never asks about tools or recording | Confirms tools, recording and retakes | Also asks about review and accommodations |
| Communication | Lists facts about AI | Speaks to what each kind tests | Gives a short, sequenced answer with a trade-off |
Three variants of this question
What to expect from an AI coding interview?
Expect a human interviewer, a coding task and, where the employer allows it, an AI assistant. Prepare to explain your plan, test the assistant's output and say what you would change. Details are on the AI-assisted coding interview page.
What to expect from a machine learning coding interview?
Expect coding tasks that use ML ideas, such as implementing a metric or a simple model step, in a language the employer names. Confirm the language early, because it can change before the round. The AI engineer question set gives examples.
What to expect from a machine learning system design interview?
Expect an open problem such as a recommendation or retrieval system, judged on how you frame requirements, choose components and name trade-offs. Practice sketching the data flow and saying where it breaks.
Common mistakes
- "It is an AI interview, so a machine decides." (wrong) That mixes up the kinds and assumes without asking. (right) "I'll ask who or what reviews my answers."
- "I'll use an assistant if it helps." (wrong) The policy may not allow it. (right) "I'll confirm in writing which tools are allowed."
- "I'll prepare once for everything." (wrong) The three kinds test different skills. (right) "I'll prepare for the kind I was invited to."
- "I'll answer a recorded prompt as if someone were reacting." (wrong) There is no live feedback to steer by. (right) "I'll structure each answer and watch the timer."
Follow-up questions
Does an AI interviewer make the hiring decision alone?
Whether a person reviews an AI tool's output varies by employer, so ask who makes the final decision. In New York City, employers using an automated employment decision tool must run a bias audit and give candidates notice before use, which gives you a basis to ask.
Can you use AI in an interview?
It depends on the policy stated for that round. If the invitation is silent, ask in writing; do not assume. A strong answer shows you respected the stated rules and can explain your own work.
Are AI interviews scored on facial expression?
Ask what is assessed. The Illinois Artificial Intelligence Video Interview Act requires an employer to explain what characteristics the AI uses to evaluate applicants and to get your consent first, so in Illinois you must be told before the interview. Elsewhere you can still ask and read any notice you are given. Prepare to be clear in what you say and how you structure it.
What if I need an accommodation for an AI-scored interview?
Ask the employer before the session, in writing, and say what you need. In New York City, the candidate notice must say how to request an alternative selection process or a reasonable accommodation.
How do you prepare for a one-way video interview?
Practice answering aloud to a camera with a timer, using a short structure for each answer. The interview skills page covers how to show those skills.
- "AI interview" means AI judging you, AI allowed in the round, or an AI role.
- Ask the recruiter in writing which kind it is and what the rules are.
- Prepare for what that kind tests: recorded answers, working with an assistant, or ML knowledge.
- Confirm tools, recording, retakes and accommodations before the round.
Sources
- Automated Employment Decision Tools (Local Law 144) — New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, 5 Jul 2023
- Artificial Intelligence Video Interview Act (820 ILCS 42) — Illinois General Assembly, 9 Aug 2019
