UK recruiters question where AI assistance ends and misconduct begins
AI is increasingly used by both jobseekers and employers, but its role in recruitment is raising questions about fairness and where assistance becomes misconduct. Some candidates use it to tailor CVs and cover letters, while employers use AI to screen applications, creating concern that applicants may need to satisfy automated systems as well as human recruiters.
A survey of 155 major UK graduate employers found that 92% had encountered or suspected AI misconduct, up from 85% the previous year; common examples included live help during interviews and assessments. EDF received 12,000 applications for its graduate scheme, 10% more than last year, and closed it early. The company now uses skills-based assessments and interviews, while giving candidates guidance on acceptable AI use.
- AI can help candidates tailor applications, but employers draw limits.
- 92% of surveyed graduate employers suspected or encountered AI misconduct.
- EDF received 12,000 applications and closed its scheme early.
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Recruitment now often involves digital tools as well as conversations between applicants and employers. Jobseekers may use artificial intelligence (AI) to improve CVs or practise interview answers, while employers may use it to sort applications or assess candidates.
This raises questions about what counts as reasonable help and what gives an applicant an unfair advantage. A survey of large UK graduate employers found that many had encountered or suspected candidates using AI during interviews or assessments, and some employers are setting out rules for its use.
EDF, the energy company, is one example of a graduate recruiter adapting its process as applications rise. Its use of skills assessments and interviews reflects a wider effort to judge candidates’ abilities while deciding how technology should fit into recruitment.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
AI can help candidates express their experience clearly, tailor applications and prepare for assessments, much as other forms of coaching do. Employers also use automated screening, so allowing reasonable AI assistance may help applicants navigate systems that otherwise reward particular wording or formats; clear guidance and skills-based assessments can distinguish useful support from a candidate’s own abilities.
The case against
Recruiters can reasonably worry that undisclosed AI help during live interviews or assessments gives some candidates an unfair advantage and obscures what they can do independently. As application volumes rise, employers need trustworthy ways to compare candidates and make decisions, so setting limits on AI use may protect the integrity of selection—provided the rules are clear and applied consistently.
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Originally published by BBC Technology as “Is it OK for jobseekers or employers to use AI?”.