AI Coding Interview: Who Allows AI, and How to Prepare
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An AI coding interview is a coding round with an AI assistant allowed.
Meta started rolling one out in October 2025.
Amazon tells candidates not to use GenAI tools unless explicitly permitted.
Rules differ by company, so ask your recruiter before the round.
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What is an AI coding interview?
An AI coding interview puts an assistant in the editor. The interviewer scores how you use it.
Prep sites report that Meta’s round runs 60 minutes. It replaces one of 2 onsite coding rounds.
The interviewer watches how you split the problem, direct the tool and check its output.
Which companies allow AI in coding interviews?
Company policy on AI in coding interviews varies, and most companies publish nothing.
Meta has piloted an AI-assisted round.
Amazon asks candidates to avoid GenAI tools unless explicitly permitted.
A company’s own recruiter email is the only rule that binds you.
| Company | Reported position | Consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Meta | An AI assistant is available in one coding round | Scored on how you use it |
| Amazon | No GenAI tools unless explicitly permitted | Disqualification is possible |
| Others | Usually unstated | Ask the recruiter |
How do you prepare for an AI coding interview?
Prepare for an AI coding interview by rehearsing the loop: restate, split, prompt, read, test.
Practise it with the assistant on, then again with it off. The off round proves the skills are yours.
Time each attempt. Say your reasoning out loud, because the interviewer cannot see your thinking.
What goes wrong in an AI coding interview?
The common failure in an AI coding interview is submitting output you did not read.
The interviewer cannot score your judgement from code you never checked.
Candidates also lose time arguing with the assistant over 10 lines they could write. Know when to type it yourself.
Do classic coding skills still matter in an AI coding interview?
Classic skills still decide an AI coding interview. You must read, test and fix what the assistant writes.
Data structures and complexity tell you whether an answer is correct.
Knowing the standard patterns helps you spot a wrong one fast.
Debugging stays central. A wrong answer that you cannot diagnose costs the round.
How should you ask a recruiter about AI rules?
Ask the recruiter in writing, before the round, and quote the answer back to them.
A short message works: “Is AI assistance permitted in the coding rounds, and which tools?”
The FAANG loop and the phone screen cover the rest of the process.
The scorecard shows what interviewers record.
Common questions
Can you use ChatGPT in a coding interview?
Only when the company says you can. Amazon’s guidance puts GenAI tools off limits unless explicitly permitted. Breaking it may end your candidacy. Meta runs a round built around an assistant. When the rules are unclear, ask in writing and follow the answer exactly.
Will AI replace the classic coding round?
Reports describe Meta’s AI round as replacing one of 2 coding rounds. Most companies have not published a change. Prepare for both formats. One is a classic round without help. The other has you direct an assistant and defend its output.
How can an interviewer tell you used AI secretly?
Reports of Amazon’s interviewer guidance list typing during the question, reading aloud and wandering eyes. Whatever their reliability, the penalty for breaking a no-AI rule can be severe. Follow the stated rules, and do not test them. A fair round is worth more than a risky shortcut.
What does an interviewer score in an AI-assisted round?
Prep sites report 4 scored areas. Problem solving, code quality, verification and communication. They match the areas of the classic coding round. The assistant’s code counts for little unless you can explain every line of it. Practise reading code aloud and naming what could fail.
What is an AI coding interview?
An AI coding interview is a technical round with an AI assistant allowed. The interviewer scores how the candidate splits the problem. They also score how the candidate directs the tool and checks the output. Meta began rolling out the format in October 2025. Other companies ban AI tools.
The short version
Ask in writing whether AI is allowed. Rules differ by company.
Rehearse the loop: restate, split, prompt, read, test. Practise with the assistant on and off.
To rehearse explaining your reasoning aloud, book a mock interview. Written scorecard within 24 hours.