A Manchester recruitment agency boss says candidates using artificial intelligence to generate answers during virtual job interviews may give themselves away through awkward pauses, filler phrases and unnaturally formal language.
The warning comes as a new survey from the Institute of Student Employers (ISE), reported by The Guardian, found that 92% of employers suspected or confirmed misconduct during recruitment and selection.
Manchester recruitment agency boss Chris Morrow said candidates using live AI assistance can sound as though they are reading scripted responses.
'It's like they are reading off an Autocue,' he said.
Morrow, who runs Digitalent, said his agency ends interviews when it detects candidates using unauthorised AI assistance.
'Whenever it happens to us, we tend to end the interview. It's cheating,' he said.
How Recruiters Suspect AI Use
Morrow said candidates using AI tools during video interviews may pause while software generates a response, rely on filler phrases or suddenly switch to overly formal language.
'There is a delay,' he said. 'The candidate tends to use filler phrases like "That's a good question". The other tell is that a lot of the language they use is not necessarily natural and is super-formal.'
These behaviours are not definitive proof of AI use. Pauses and formal language can occur naturally, so the signs Morrow describes should be treated as potential warning signals rather than conclusive evidence of cheating.
AI Misconduct Reaches a Record High
The ISE survey found that the proportion of employers reporting suspected or confirmed recruitment misconduct rose from 85% the previous year to 92%, up from 78% the year before that, according to The Guardian.
Unauthorised AI use during interviews was a prominent concern, with 66% of respondents reporting at least one incident of a graduate misusing AI during an interview. The survey also found that 47% of respondents reported candidates using AI to complete online assessments.
A further 10% reported AI being used for online application questions and for writing CVs or covering letters, according to the report.
The ISE has 290 employer members, including Marks & Spencer, Rolls-Royce and Accenture. The Guardian reported that the organisation did not name the employers that had experienced AI-assisted interviews.
ISE chief executive Stephen Isherwood warned that candidates who misrepresent their abilities to secure a job could ultimately find themselves in a role they are not equipped to perform.
'If you misrepresent yourself, you could end up doing the wrong job,' he said.
Isherwood also said jobseekers should research the roles they are applying for and understand what they involve, as that is what interviewers want to see. Applicants should check each employer's rules on AI assistance, particularly where interviews or assessments prohibit the use of live AI tools.
Graduate Hiring Recovers Despite Economic Uncertainty
The ISE's 2026 survey suggests that graduate recruitment has stabilised after a difficult year. Early-career hiring rose by 4% in 2026 following an 8% decline the previous year, while employers forecast a further 7% increase over the next 12 months.
However, hiring plans remain mixed. Some 45% of respondents planned to increase their graduate intake, 15% expected to maintain current levels and 40% anticipated reducing their intake.
Isherwood said employers were not cutting graduate recruitment because of AI, but because of wider economic pressures.
'They [companies] are not managing down graduate recruitment because of AI. It's because of economic uncertainty. It's a tough economic environment,' he said.
Isherwood added that concerns about AI's impact on graduate jobs were still 'two or three years down the line'. His comments suggest that, for now, employers are more concerned about economic uncertainty than AI when explaining reductions in graduate recruitment.
