Google allows AI in interviews

Google is piloting a new software-engineering interview format that lets some candidates use an AI assistant during technical rounds, according to reports published this week citing internal company guidance. The change was described to applicants as a way to better match hiring with the “modern engineering landscape,” the Times of India reported on May 16, citing Business Insider’s earlier reporting. Google has not published the interview change on its public blog or careers pages that were surfaced in search results reviewed Saturday. (blog.google) (moneywise.com) The reported shift comes as Google has made broader claims about how heavily AI is now used inside the company’s own engineering work. On April 22, Chief Executive Sundar Pichai wrote that 75% of all new code at Google is now AI-generated and approved by engineers, up from 50% last fall. That internal adoption gives context to why the company would test AI-assisted hiring for software roles. ### Which interview round is Google changing? Business Insider’s account, as recirculated by other outlets this month, said the pilot applies to a “code comprehension” round rather than every technical interview. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) In that format, candidates are expected to read, debug and improve existing code, instead of only writing solutions from scratch. Several follow-on reports said Google plans to allow an “approved” assistant in that round, with Gemini identified as the tool in use during the pilot. Those reports attributed the detail to a Google spokesperson speaking to Business Insider, though the underlying interview guidance has not been publicly posted by Google. (blog.google) ### Who is included in the pilot? Reports published between May 7 and May 16 said the pilot is aimed first at junior and mid-level software-engineering candidates in select U.S. teams. (moneywise.com) One account said the test would run across several organizations, including Google Cloud and the platforms-and-devices unit. The same reports said Google is not yet replacing its full engineering interview process with AI-assisted assessments. Instead, the company appears to be testing a limited format in certain roles and geographies before deciding whether to broaden it. (careers.northeastern.edu) That description comes from secondary reports citing internal documents, not from a public Google announcement. ### Why would Google permit AI in an interview at all? Google’s stated reason, as quoted in reports this week, is to align hiring with how engineers now work. (dnyuz.com) The Times of India article said the pilot was framed around the “modern engineering landscape,” where AI tools are increasingly part of day-to-day development. Google has publicly described that broader shift in its own engineering organization. Pichai’s April 22 post said AI-generated code already accounts for three-quarters of new code at the company, subject to engineer review and approval. (entrepreneur.com) In February 2025, Google had said more than 25% of new code was generated by AI, showing how quickly the company’s public numbers have moved. ### What would interviewers be judging if AI is allowed? Some reports describing the internal guidance said interviewers would still be testing engineering judgment rather than raw tool use. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) Those accounts said candidates would be assessed on how they prompt the model, verify its output and debug problems that remain after AI assistance. That would fit the structure of a code-comprehension round, where the task is to inspect and improve existing code under constraints. Google has not, in the sources reviewed, published a formal rubric for how those interviews are scored. (blog.google) ### Is this already standard across tech hiring? Canva and Cognition were cited in reports as examples of companies that already allow some AI use in technical interviews. The Google pilot therefore appears to follow a practice that some startups and software-focused companies have begun adopting, according to those reports. (tekedia.com) Google’s scale makes the test notable because its software-engineering interviews have long been treated as a benchmark by applicants and recruiters across the industry. The company has not said publicly that all candidates will move to the new format. (shopifreaks.com) ### What happens next? The reports say the pilot begins in 2026 and is limited to selected teams, with wider use dependent on how the test performs. Candidates looking for confirmation beyond secondary coverage will need to watch for updates from Google Careers, company recruiting communications or a public statement from Google. (dnyuz.com) (moneywise.com) (entrepreneur.com)