Courses › AI-Assisted Coding › Tools & Pitfalls

Where AI Is Allowed

The kinds of AI policies in interview loops, what's been reported, and what to ask your recruiter.

Interview rules on AI are changing fast. Some companies now run dedicated AI-enabled coding rounds. Others explicitly forbid AI assistance and treat using it as grounds for disqualification. Many are somewhere in between, varying by team or by round. Getting this wrong in either direction is costly, so confirm the rules for every round, in writing, before the interview.

The four kinds of policy you'll meet

What's been reported publicly (late 2026)

Public reporting on this comes mostly from candidate accounts and career blogs, rather than official policy pages, and the details vary. Treat the following as directional only:

  • Meta has been widely reported to run an AI-enabled coding round in a multi-file project environment, with a built-in assistant. Some reports say candidates can choose between several models.
  • Google has been reported to be piloting AI-assisted formats for some roles. Accounts differ on which rounds and levels are included.
  • Companies including Canva, Shopify, Coinbase, LinkedIn, Microsoft and Uber are reported to allow or experiment with AI in some interview formats. Canva has been reported to expect AI use for some roles.
  • Other employers, reportedly including Amazon and several finance firms, keep AI-free standard loops and treat unauthorized AI use as disqualifying.

[!WARNING] Always confirm with your recruiter Policies differ by team, level and round, and they change often. Ask your recruiter directly, and get the answer in writing: "For each round, can I use an AI assistant? If so, which tools, and will one be provided?" Never assume that because one round allowed AI, the next one does.

Questions to ask your recruiter

  • Which rounds allow AI assistance, and which don't?
  • Is a tool provided, or do I use my own? Which models or products?
  • Can the assistant edit files, or only chat?
  • Is internet search or documentation allowed?
  • How is AI use evaluated? What does a strong performance look like?

Recruiters are generally happy to answer these. Asking shows preparation, not uncertainty.

Integrity

  • If a round is AI-free, don't use an assistant, a second device or a hidden overlay. Detection tools and behavioral signals are increasingly common, and the consequences can include being disqualified and flagged for future applications.
  • If a round allows AI, use it openly and narrate it. Hiding how you use it removes the very signal the round exists to measure.
  • Treat interview material as confidential. Don't paste it into tools other than the ones you've been told to use.

Preparing for both kinds of round

Most loops still include AI-free rounds, even at companies with an AI-enabled one. A balanced plan:

  • Keep your core coding skills sharp without assistance.
  • Practice two or three timed sessions in an AI-enabled format, ideally in a browser IDE with a chat assistant, sharing your screen and narrating.
  • Use the same principles in both kinds of round: clarify first, plan, verify, and communicate.

[!TIP] Practice Extend an Unfamiliar Codebase with AI · Build a Small App from a Spec with AI · Introduction