Can I use AI in an interview? Check the employer's rule for that round. Practice before the call is usually allowed. Using a tool while they are asking questions usually is not, unless they said that round allows it.
URHIRED AI is a desktop copilot for that practice, and for a live round only when the rule allows it. It does not set the rule. The pages below do.
The short answer
Sort the work into three buckets. Prep and mocks: usually yes. A live round: usually no, unless the invite or the recruiter says that round allows it. A take-home: read the assignment — these employers do not share one default.
If you cannot find a rule, ask. Silence is not a yes.
Prep, live, or take-home
Decide which bucket the next session is in before you open anything.
- Prep and mocks. Usually allowed. Anthropic and Mastercard describe practice before the call as in bounds, and Datadog allows AI for company research. UBS does not publish a separate prep rule — use their URL in the next section. Do the practice before anyone is on the line.
- Live interview. Usually not allowed. Do not use AI to develop answers during a phone, video, or onsite round unless that employer has said this round allows it. A yes on a different round does not carry over.
- Take-home. No shared default. Some bar AI unless they mark the task as allowed. Others allow research or structure, then ask you to explain the work live. Read the assignment and their page.
What four employers publish
Four careers pages, summarized from the text on each URL. If a detail is not on the page, it is not a rule from them. If the page disagrees with this summary, the page wins.
Anthropic
Anthropic's candidate guidance is at https://www.anthropic.com/candidate-ai-guidance (last updated Jul 10, 2025). Draft the application yourself, then use Claude to refine how you describe work you actually did. Do not use it to invent experience. Take-home assessments are without Claude unless they indicate otherwise, and they say they will be clear when AI is allowed. Prep is in bounds: research the company, practice answers, and prepare questions. Live interviews are without AI assistance unless they indicate otherwise.
Mastercard
Mastercard's guidelines are at https://careers.mastercard.com/us/en/ai-guidelines. AI may help you articulate a resume, or check grammar in a cover letter, if the result is still your skills, your voice, and your experience. They encourage AI for interview prep, including mock-interview platforms and keeping up with industry trends. For phone and video interviews they ask you not to use AI to develop your responses. Virtual interviews are on camera unless otherwise required. They generally do not permit recording or transcription of interviews without prior Mastercard approval. On a technical assessment, use AI only if they invite it and give clear guidelines. Falsifying or misrepresenting skills or experience — yourself, through someone else, or with AI — may lead to disqualification.
Datadog
Datadog's interviewing guidelines are at https://careers.datadoghq.com/candidate-experience/interviewing-at-datadog-ai-guidelines/ (last updated May 13, 2026). AI may help you build a resume or cover letter if the materials accurately represent your qualifications. Misrepresentation may disqualify you. On a take-home or presentation you may use tools for research and structure; the submission should still be your own conclusions, and you should expect to explain it live. Some engineering roles have an AI-assisted coding interview where using AI is allowed and expected. They tell you in advance. Unless they have told you that, do not use AI in other live coding interviews, technical assessments, or non-technical interviews. Use during those non-technical interviews may disqualify the application. Misuse of AI tools, or failure to disclose their use, may lead to disqualification.
UBS
UBS's applicant rules are at https://www.ubs.com/global/en/careers/search-jobs/faq/ai-usage.html. AI may help prepare a resume or cover letter if the content genuinely reflects your own skills, experience, and understanding. You must complete assessment tasks independently — AI assistance is not allowed. During recorded or virtual video interviews your answers must be your own, and using AI to generate responses is strictly prohibited. Recording, transcribing, or analyzing interviews with AI or other tools is not permitted, and they note that may have legal consequences in some regions. Interviews must be attended in person and in real time. Avatars or deepfakes are not allowed. Failure to follow the guidelines may result in removal from the process, withdrawal of an offer, or disciplinary action even after employment begins. The page does not state a separate rule for interview prep. Check the URL before you treat prep as covered.
What to send the recruiter
Ask in writing, on the thread you already have, before the round. One question. Replace the brackets. Keep the reply.
- Before a live round. "Before the [round] on [date], I want to follow your AI rule. Is it fine to use AI to prepare, and is any use during the live interview off unless you tell me otherwise?"
- Before a take-home. "For this take-home, should I complete it without AI, or may I use it for research or structure? Will I need to explain the submission live?"
- When nothing is published. "I could not find an AI policy on your careers site or in the invite. Can you send the rule for this loop, especially for the live rounds?"
If they say no, or yes for one round
- A no on the live round means that round is without AI. Practice you already did stays practice. Do not open a tool to draft answers while they are asking questions.
- A yes applies to the round they named. A take-home that allows AI is not permission for the onsite. An AI-assisted coding interview is not permission for the behavioral.
- No reply: treat the live round as not allowed until they answer. Do not fill the gap yourself.
- If the careers page and the recruiter disagree, follow the written instruction for your loop and keep both.
Where a desktop copilot fits
Use one for practice, or for a live round the employer has allowed.
URHIRED AI is a desktop copilot for live interviews and for mocks, on macOS and Windows. You speak or type every answer. On a live call the overlay is skipped by screen share. Fifteen minutes a day of live help is free, and live interviews are not on a waitlist. Mock interviews need a paid plan.
Download it at https://www.urhiredai.com/download.
Can I use AI in an interview still comes down to the round in front of you. If the page says prep, practice. If the page or the recruiter says the live round is off, leave the tool closed. If you are not sure, ask before the call.
FAQ
Can I use AI in an interview?
For prep, usually yes. For a live round, usually no, unless that employer said the round allows it. Take-homes depend on the assignment. The four pages above are the concrete version of that split.
Can I use ChatGPT in a live interview?
Only if that employer has allowed AI tools for that round. Anthropic, Mastercard, Datadog, and UBS each tell candidates not to use AI to produce live answers unless they have said otherwise. ChatGPT is not a separate case. Do not use it to develop responses while the interview is happening.
Is AI interview prep allowed?
Anthropic, Mastercard, and Datadog describe research and practice as acceptable. UBS allows AI on application documents and does not publish a separate prep rule. Check https://www.ubs.com/global/en/careers/search-jobs/faq/ai-usage.html.
How do I ask a recruiter if AI is allowed?
Send one written question before the round, on the thread you already have. Ask whether prep is fine and whether the live interview is off unless they say otherwise. Keep the reply. The three scripts above are ready to paste.
What if the employer has no published AI policy?
Ask the recruiter, in writing. Until they answer, treat the live round as not allowed. A missing page is not permission.
Is a mock with AI different from AI in a live interview?
Yes. A mock is practice before anyone is interviewing you. Anthropic and Mastercard treat that practice as acceptable, and Datadog allows AI for company research. A live round is the interview, and those pages restrict AI then unless they marked that round as allowed. UBS does not publish a separate prep rule — check their URL above.
Can using AI get me disqualified?
It can, where the employer says so. Mastercard: falsifying or misrepresenting skills or experience, including with AI, may lead to disqualification. Datadog: misuse of AI tools, or failure to disclose their use, may lead to disqualification, and AI use in non-technical interviews may disqualify the application. UBS: removal from the process, withdrawal of an offer, or disciplinary action even after employment begins. Anthropic's page sets the limits and does not state a penalty. Check https://www.anthropic.com/candidate-ai-guidance.