Is Using AI in Technical Interviews Acceptable?

AI tools like GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT have fundamentally changed how engineers work.

So the real question is:
Should candidates be allowed to use AI during technical interviews?

The short answer: It depends on what you're evaluating.

If your goal is to test:

• memorization
• syntax recall

Then AI becomes a distortion layer because it can generate answers without real understanding.

But if you're evaluating:

• problem-solving ability
• engineering judgment
• decision-making

Then AI can be part of the workflow but the candidate must still own the thinking, the direction, and the decisions.

AI should support the process, not define it.

Why banning AI creates an unrealistic interview?

In real-world engineering environments:

Developers use Google

They reference documentation

They rely on AI to accelerate workflows

Removing these tools creates an artificial environment that does not reflect real engineering work.

Great engineers are not defined by what they know but by how they approach problems.

⚠️ The real issue is not AI,  it’s how it’s used.

Let’s look at two scenarios:

❌ Weak signal

The candidate copies the problem into AI.

Accepts the output without questioning it.

Cannot explain the reasoning.

This indicates:

• lack of ownership.
• weak problem-solving ability.
• high risk in real-world environments

✅ Strong signal

The candidate defines the approach independently.

Uses AI selectively (e.g., validation, edge cases, optimization).

Challenges and verifies AI output.

This indicates:

• strong engineering judgment
• independent thinking
• effective use of modern tools

Critical principle: AI should not make decisions for you.

One of the clearest red flags in an interview:

When AI becomes the decision maker.

A strong candidate should:

• Question AI outputs, not assume correctness.
• Validate results  through reasoning or testing.
• Own the direction, define the solution path

AI is:

A collaborator

An accelerator

Not a source of truth.

How we approach this at EasyEnv:

At EasyEnv, we design interviews around:

• Process over answer
• Explainability
• Real-world simulation

We don’t try to eliminate AI.

We try to understand:

Can the candidate use AI effectively, without delegating thinking to it?

How to properly evaluate AI usage:

Ask candidates:

Why did you choose this approach?

What part did you solve yourself vs. with AI?

Do you agree with the AI output? Why?

How would you detect if AI is wrong?

These questions reveal whether:

The candidate is thinking or just executing AI output.

Final takeaway

AI is not the problem.

Unquestioned AI is.

The best engineers don’t just use A, they challenge it, validate it, and stay in control of the solution.