AI Is Feeding People Interview Answers in Real Time

Some job candidates are letting AI answer for them — and it could hurt women.

It’s a complicated job market, and people are doing everything they can to land that job — including treating job interviews like open-book tests.

More and more, job seekers are using AI tools that listen in on virtual interviews and feed them answers in real time — a practice that can go against company policies. Men are twice as likely as women (20% vs. 10%) to do this, according to Lean In’s new research. This tracks what we know about women and AI — women tend to be more cautious about AI use and more concerned about its ethical implications.

Depending on company policy, relying on AI during job interviews may be disqualifying. But while companies are on the lookout for this behavior, they aren’t always able to detect it. This loophole may give men a greater edge than they already have in hiring and risks eroding decades of work to ensure fairness and narrow the gender leadership gap.

We don’t recommend using AI to provide answers live during interviews, unless it’s explicitly allowed by the company. But we do urge women to build their AI skills for legitimate workplace purposes, because our new research shows that employers expect and reward it.

Women are still behind men on many AI fronts. Men are 73% more likely to have learned new AI tools in the past year. Women are also less likely than men to use AI in their job search, less likely to list AI skills on résumés, and more likely to conceal AI use at work — often out of fear it’ll be seen as cheating. This response makes sense, since women are more likely to be negatively judged for using AI. But AI usage is correlated with higher pay and increased promotions, and showing off your AI fluency can help you stay competitive at work.

Lean In's advice for women on using AI:

Build AI skills, and keep at it.

Learn new tools often, and make it a habit to do so. These skills are now essential, and men are gaining them at higher rates.

List AI skills on your résumé explicitly.

Men are 45% more likely to do this, and it’s a competitive signal that many recruiters now expect.

Use AI for interview and negotiation prep.

Practice and pressure test answers. If you’re a woman, tell the AI tool this and ask for advice optimized for women at work.

Ask your manager for AI training and paid tools.

Make a case for how this will allow you to better serve team goals, because this communal framing will make your manager more likely to say yes. And ask for clarity on what AI usage is encouraged or discouraged at your organization.

Protect yourself.

As always, use AI responsibly. Check privacy settings, keep sensitive information to yourself, and use your human judgment to sense check any AI output. And when you’re interviewing, make sure you know the AI policies ahead of time.

Lean In is committed to helping women master AI so that they can continue rising into leadership. Check out our video series on AI career skills.

— Sheryl Sandberg, Founder, and Bridget Griswold, CEO, LeanIn.Org