A new form of interview fraud is spreading through India’s technology hiring market, as candidates increasingly use artificial intelligence tools to clear virtual interviews by generating polished answers, solving coding problems and responding to behavioural questions in real time.
Recruiters and hiring managers across the IT services and product sector say candidates are relying on live AI assistance during online interviews, often through second screens, mobile phones placed below the webcam frame, browser extensions or hidden desktop overlays that remain invisible during screen sharing. The result is a growing challenge for employers as the hiring market begins to regain momentum.
AI Tools Enter the Interview Room
For coding interviews, the misuse is said to be even more direct. Candidates are pasting problem statements into generative AI tools or using code assistants to produce complete solutions within seconds.
A senior software engineer at Infosys, who recently interviewed for roles in Bengaluru’s product start up ecosystem and requested anonymity, described the practice as a new age proxy interview. He said he had ChatGPT open on his phone and Copilot on his laptop during one round, adding that the AI generated structured answers for leadership and conflict questions almost instantly.
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A cloud architect working at Wipro said the pressure of competing in a difficult market was pushing many candidates towards such shortcuts. He said some applicants were feeding questions into AI tools during technical rounds while pretending to think.
Candidates Rehearse, Then Reuse the Same Tools
The same engineer said candidates often rehearse with AI generated mock interviews before the actual call and then keep the same tools open during the live round. He said that when an interviewer asks a system design question, AI can quickly produce a framework covering scalability, fault tolerance, caching and database choice, allowing the candidate to speak around it.
The growing use of such tools has led some within the sector to view the problem as more than occasional misconduct. Interviewers are now confronting a setting in which live assistance can be delivered discreetly and almost instantly, especially during remote hiring rounds.
Companies Change Hiring Tactics
In response, companies across the technology sector are changing the way they hire to limit the misuse of AI during interviews. Several firms have begun moving away from fully virtual hiring rounds and are bringing candidates back for in person discussions, particularly for final technical and managerial interviews.
Others are redesigning the interview itself. Instead of asking standard questions that can be easily answered by AI tools, recruiters are increasingly using live work simulations, timed coding exercises and practical problem solving tasks that mirror workplace situations. Companies such as Foxglove and BlueAlpha have begun using multi day work trials to test how candidates actually perform on the job.
A recent report by The Wall Street Journal said more companies are returning to face to face meetings as AI tools make it easier for candidates to receive live assistance during remote rounds.
