Interviewed or screened by AI: what to expect, how to prepare, how to ask for a person

Short answer

An AI interview can be a chat screener, a recorded video that software scores, a live AI interviewer or a game or test. Before you start, ask the recruiter in writing which format it is, what it assesses, whether a person reviews the result, and how to ask for an adjustment or a human interview. Check whether the employer allows you to use AI during it, since many do not. Prepare as you would for a person: practise out loud and give concrete examples. If you hear nothing, ask once for the outcome and, where the rules give one, a human review.

Who this is for. Job seekers and new graduates who have been sent an AI interview link. For writing an honest CV and rehearsing, see Job search and interview prep.

How common it is, and how rarely people are told

In a May 2026 survey of 1,200 US job seekers by Greenhouse, which sells hiring software, 63% said they had been interviewed by an AI, up 13 points in six months. 70% said they were never clearly told upfront that AI would evaluate them, and 21% found out only when the interview began. Of those who completed one, 51% never heard back. 46% wanted the option to ask for a human interview (Greenhouse, 1 May 2026, vendor survey, self-reported).

So asking is normal. You are not being difficult.

Step 1: find out which format it is

Format	What it usually looks like	What to ask
Chat screener	A text chat that asks about your experience, availability or pay	Is a person reading the answers, or does software decide who moves on?
Recorded one-way video	You record answers to set questions, often with a timer	What is scored: the content of answers only, or also voice and face? How long is the video kept?
Live AI interviewer	A voice or video agent asks questions and follow-ups	Can I have a person instead, or a person reviewing the result?
Game or test	Puzzles, timed tasks or a personality questionnaire	Can I have more time or another format for a disability?

The table is our summary. Employers and tools vary, so the recruiter's answer counts, not the table.

Step 2: send this email before you start

Questions before an AI interview · v1.0

Subject: Questions about the interview for <JOB_TITLE>

Hello <RECRUITER_NAME>,

Thank you for inviting me to the next stage. Before I start, could you tell me:

1. What format the interview is (chat, recorded video, live AI interviewer or a test), and roughly how long it takes.
2. What it assesses, and whether it scores only my answers or also things like voice or facial expression.
3. Whether a person reviews the result before any decision is made.
4. Whether I can have an interview with a person instead, if I prefer.
5. How to ask for an adjustment, such as extra time or a different format, for a disability.
6. Whether I may use AI tools during the interview, or not.
7. How long my recording and answers are kept, and how to ask for them to be deleted if I withdraw.

Kind regards,
<YOUR_NAME>

Replace the following:

<JOB_TITLE> and <RECRUITER_NAME>: from the invitation.
<YOUR_NAME>: your name.

Delete question 5 if it does not apply to you. You do not need to say what your disability is to ask how adjustments work.

Step 3: a 10-minute check before you start

Read the employer's rules on AI use. If they say no AI, close every assistant tab.
Practise three answers out loud, each with situation, action and result. The mock interview in Job search and interview prep does this.
Test the camera, microphone and internet on the same device you will use.
Light in front of you, not behind. A plain background.
Phone on silent, notifications off.
Note the time limit for each answer, if there is one.
Have the job ad and your notes on paper, if the rules allow notes.

Step 4: during the interview

Answer the question asked, then stop. Short and complete beats long.
Give a concrete example with a number or outcome you can back up.
Keep to the time shown.
Don't stuff answers with keywords from the ad. Our view is that it reads badly to the person who may review it later, and nobody outside the vendor knows exactly how a given tool scores.
If something breaks (video freezes, the question is cut off), take a screenshot and email the recruiter straight away.

Step 5: afterwards, and asking for a person

If you hear nothing in two weeks, send one short follow-up. Our suggestion:

Follow-up after an AI interview · v1.0

Hello <RECRUITER_NAME>,

I completed the AI interview for <JOB_TITLE> on <DATE>. Could you tell me the outcome?
If a decision was made using the AI assessment, I would like a person to review it, and a short explanation of the main reasons.

Kind regards,
<YOUR_NAME>

What the rules say, as of October 2026, in the places we checked:

Place	What we found	Source kind
New York City	Employers using an automated tool for hiring must have it bias-audited within a year of use and publish a summary. Candidates who live in NYC must get notice 10 business days before use, including what it will assess and how to ask for a reasonable accommodation (NYC DCWP; DCWP FAQ).	Official
Illinois	According to a law-firm summary, since 1 January 2026 employers must tell employees when they use AI in decisions such as hiring, and may not use AI in a way that discriminates (McDonald Hopkins, January 2026). We could not read the statute on the official site today.	Law-firm summary
UK	You have a right not to be subject to a decision made solely by automated means that has a significant effect on you, and the ICO gives automated recruitment tests as an example. Where such decisions are allowed, you can ask for human intervention, give your view and challenge the decision. The ICO says this guidance is under review after the Data (Use and Access) Act (ICO).	Regulator guidance
Connecticut	Since 1 October 2026, an employer cannot defend a discrimination complaint by saying an automated tool made the decision (Public Act 26-15, section 13).	Law text
EU	The AI Act has banned AI that infers people's emotions at work since 2 February 2025 (AI Act, Article 5).	Law text
US, disability	Guidance from May 2022 says the ADA requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations during hiring, including when they use AI tools, and that employers should make sure asking for one does not hurt your chances (ADA.gov).	Government guidance

Elsewhere, ask the employer which rules apply, or check your data protection regulator. For other decisions made about you by software, such as loans or benefits, see Health, money and legal questions.

If you withdraw, ask in writing for your recording and answers to be deleted. That is our suggestion. Whether they must delete them depends on where you and the employer are.

Limits

Sources

Greenhouse. 2026 Candidate AI Interview Report release, 1 May 2026. Vendor survey of 2,950 job seekers; figures quoted are the 1,200 US respondents. Link
NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. Automated Employment Decision Tools page and FAQ, enforced from July 2023. Regulator guidance. Link · Link
McDonald Hopkins. Illinois now requires employers to disclose the use of AI for employment-related decisions, January 2026. Law-firm summary. Link
UK Information Commissioner's Office. Your rights relating to decisions being made about you without human involvement, read October 2026. Regulator guidance. Link
US Department of Justice, ADA.gov. Algorithms, artificial intelligence, and disability discrimination in hiring, May 2022. Government guidance. Link
Connecticut General Assembly. Public Act 26-15 (SB 5), section 13, effective 1 October 2026. Law text, read 2026-10-19. Link
EU AI Act, Article 5: prohibited AI practices, applicable from 2 February 2025. Law text. Link

Changes

v1.019 Oct 2026first version