The AI-enhanced candidate is here. Are your interview questions ready?

Every recruiter I talk to has the same complaint: candidates are using AI to polish resumes, draft cover letters, and even prep answers in real time during interviews. The reaction has mostly been frustration — and a lot of energy spent trying to detect or punish it.

I think we’re aiming at the wrong target. The AI-enhanced candidate isn’t going away. In 2026, the candidate who doesn’t use AI is the outlier.

Stop asking, how do I catch them? Start asking how do I see past the polish to the actual person?

The answer is better questions. The kind AI-generated answers can’t survive contact with. Three types worth adding to your list:

Specificity probes. AI gives you the smooth, summary version. Specificity is where the truth lives. Ask about a specific day, a specific decision, a specific moment things went sideways. Example: “Walk me through a specific day when that project was going sideways. What did you do first?”

Contradiction and depth follow-ups. Make them defend the resume in real time. The polish doesn’t hold up under repeated “tell me mores.” Example: “Your resume says you led this initiative — what does led mean in practice? Who did you report to?”

Unprepared questions. AI is great at the questions candidates expect. It’s not great at the ones they didn’t. Example: “If I called a coworker of yours right now, what would they say is your biggest blind spot?”

These questions test whether there’s a real person underneath whatever the candidate used to prepare. The polished candidate who can answer them thoughtfully is telling you something important. So is the one who can’t.

AI gets candidates to the door. Better questions help you decide whether they walk through it.