Sandra Lavoy noticed awkward pauses and hesitation from a job candidate when she asked questions on a video call. The pauses didn’t seem natural; neither did the responses.
Lavoy, the regional director at employment agency Robert Half, suspected the candidate was using artificial intelligence to generate answers during a live interview.
“I questioned it,” she recalled. “And they jumped off the call.”
That experience wasn’t a one-off for Lavoy, so she began asking candidates to attend in person for further rounds.
Some job seekers are misusing AI tools, recruiters say
With unemployment hovering near 7%, many job seekers are searching for any advantage that will help their applications stand out. That has led some applicants to rely heavily on generative AI: polishing resumés, drafting cover letters, and even generating responses during live interviews. Recruiters and hiring managers are increasingly noticing when answers feel generic, overly polished, or lacking human nuance.
Alexandra Tillo, senior talent strategy adviser at Indeed Canada, says the trend of candidates using AI during live interviews has become more visible in recent months. While many recruiters accept AI as a legitimate aid for job hunting, they raise concerns when it strips away personal voice or replaces a candidate’s own knowledge in real time.
Common signs that recruiters point to include multiple applicants offering very similar answers to situational or behavioural questions, and deliveries that lack emotional intelligence or the irregularities that come from natural human speech. Those patterns make it difficult for hiring teams to assess true fit and competency.
“It’s very hard to judge someone’s skills, especially if the answer is not truly their own and it does lead to a bit of a waste of time … (and a) lack of trust,” Tillo said.
How AI can help with your job search
In a competitive labour market where employers screen many candidates and use application-tracking systems, some job seekers turn to AI to increase their chances of reaching the interview stage. Ariel Hennig Wood, a career coach at Canada Career Counselling, notes that applicants often use AI to insert keywords and optimize documents to pass automated screening.
Rather than relying on AI to replace original thought, Wood recommends a structured approach that uses AI as a tool at each stage of the process. “AI needs to be used in the job search process to be effective against application-tracking systems,” she said, but cautions that personalization remains essential.
Practical ways to make AI work for you include:
- Employer research: Use AI to gather and summarize publicly available information about a company’s culture, common roles, and industry trends. That background can inform how you tailor your application.
- Resume and keyword optimization: Start with a clear human-written resume, then use AI to identify and include relevant keywords from the job posting so your application aligns with application-tracking systems.
- Cover letter drafting and personalization: Generate a draft cover letter, then refine it to include specific reasons you’re excited about the role and examples that reflect your voice and experience.
- Prompt engineering: Give AI clear, detailed instructions—what role you’re applying for, which achievements to highlight, and the tone you want—so outputs are useful starting points rather than final submissions.
Preparing for job interviews using AI
Wood also recommends using AI to prepare for interviews. Ask an AI to generate likely interview questions for the specific role and industry, then practice answering them aloud. Record yourself responding, and use AI feedback combined with input from a friend or career counsellor to refine delivery, storytelling and examples.
AI can also assist with offer evaluation. After receiving an offer, you can use AI to scan the document and flag common clauses or items that warrant follow-up, helping you identify potential areas for negotiation. Wood suggests AI can highlight where there may be room to discuss salary, benefits or other terms.
Karan Saraf, a public relations student who has used AI to organize his thoughts, role-play interviews and prepare tailored materials, says the tool helped him land interviews in a competitive youth job market. Saraf believes it is acceptable to use AI for preparation so long as he is not plagiarizing or misleading employers. “But then, if I’m ever asked this question, I would be honest about it,” he said, calling openness part of ethical AI use.
Wood agrees that ethical use means you should know what’s in your resumé and be able to speak to it confidently. “I don’t believe that you need to go into an interview and say, ‘By the way, I prepped with AI for this,’” she said. “It’s such a common tool now that everybody’s using and if you are using it ethically, there’s nothing to disclose.”
At the same time, Carlie Bell, director of consulting at Citation Canada, points out that transparency expectations may evolve. Ontario is introducing legislation that requires employers to disclose publicly if they use AI for screening, selecting, or assessing applicants starting Jan. 1, 2026. While other provinces have not adopted the same measures, Bell expects employers may eventually ask candidates to be transparent about their use of AI as well.
Despite these concerns, Bell emphasizes that candidates who preserve creativity, share specific personal experiences, and demonstrate genuine engagement are less likely to be harmed by using AI in their job search. In hiring, the human element—original stories, real examples, and authentic communication—remains a crucial differentiator.
Further reading on jobs
- Canadians will see wages pick up as immigration slows, Conference Board argues
- Is Canada in a recession?
- How to negotiate a job offer to get better benefits
- What to do if your employer is in financial trouble