I am a new assistant professor in CS at a top-50 European university. I am fortunate enough to have a PhD included in my starting package, and I am currently interviewing applicants. I received hundreds of applications, and have shortlisted a handful of them to do the first round of interviews via Zoom.
However, I notice a worrying trend in applicants seemingly using AI assistants during the interviews. For example, after every question, they look at the second screen and/or ask me to repeat the question. The answers are mostly shallow and have little insight, while still having many relevant keywords. I even asked them if they had used AI assistants, but no one admitted that, stating they looked away from the camera due to habit or simply something else.
I feel very torn on this: my gut says there is something fishy, but I also don’t have any proof. We, of course, will have another round of the interview in person, but due to the visa issue, it is costly to invite them, and sometimes it is not even possible. So my question to PIs who ran the hiring recently is, do you also notice AI-assisted interviews?
Comments
no but I’d say to follow your gut on this one. If the interview seems weird and (for whatever reason, including appearing distracted and disingenuous during an interview) you’re just not connecting with the people that, after all, will be your future colleagues, don’t proceed with them.
If they can’t answer simple questions without looking all over the place, asking you to repeat them, and other weird/sketchy behavior, then just cut them from the list of maybes. I’d rather work with a student who possesses basic conversational skills than one who is great with the technical aspects but can’t talk to other people.