How to Prepare for an AI Interview, Including One-Way Video

An invitation to an “AI interview” can make it sound like you need a new set of skills. You mostly don’t. The best answer to how to prepare for an AI interview is to prepare as if a person will watch, because often one will: build clear stories, practice them out loud, and then add two extra steps. Read the format settings before you start, and read any notice the employer gives you about AI. This guide covers what AI interviews are, what some US employers must disclose, the core prep, one-way video, your recording setup, and the rules on using AI tools yourself.

What an AI interview is

“AI interview” is a loose label that covers a few different formats. In some, a chatbot or voice bot asks the questions, by text or by phone, and records your answers. In others, you record video answers to questions on a screen, and the employer may use AI to help analyze or sort those recordings. Some processes mix both with later rounds run by people.

From the outside, you usually can’t tell exactly how your answers will be reviewed, and employers handle it differently. So don’t try to game a system you can’t see. Focus on what every reviewer, human or not, needs: a clear answer to the question that was asked, backed by a real example. If the invitation or the notice explains the format, read it closely; it is the most reliable information you will get.

What employers must disclose in Illinois and New York City

Two US rules require employers to tell candidates about AI use in hiring. Each applies only in its own place, and what follows describes only what employers must disclose.

Illinois. Under the Illinois Artificial Intelligence Video Interview Act (820 ILCS 42/5), which applies to positions based in Illinois, an employer that asks applicants to record video interviews and uses AI analysis of those videos must, before the interview, notify the applicant that AI may be used, explain how the AI works and what general types of characteristics it uses to evaluate applicants, and obtain the applicant’s consent. This rule applies only to positions based in Illinois.

New York City. According to the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection page on Local Law 144 of 2021 (accessed Oct 19, 2026), employers may not use an automated employment decision tool unless it has had a bias audit within one year of use, information about the audit is publicly available, and the required notices have been given to candidates. DCWP says that notice must be given 10 business days before the tool is used. This rule applies only to use in New York City.

Rules differ by location, so check your local rules.

How to prepare for an AI interview: the core prep

The preparation that works with a person works here too. Start with the job description: list the three or four skills it stresses most, and match each one to a real example from your work.

Turn those examples into short stories with a clear situation, what you did and what changed. A STAR story bank gives you a simple way to build and organize them, so you can pull the right story for whatever question appears.

Prepare your opener, too. Many interviews in any format start with some version of “tell me about yourself,” and having a tight, practiced answer settles your nerves for everything after it.

Then practice out loud, on camera, in the same setup you will use on the day. Watch one or two recordings back. You will notice filler words, answers that wander, and the moments where you lose the thread, and those are much easier to fix in practice than live.

One-way video interview: how the format works

In this format, you record your answers with no one on the other side in real time. The pieces are usually the same, even though the details vary by employer:

• A question appears on screen, as text or as a short recorded clip.

• There may be think time before recording starts.

• A timer runs while you answer, and recording stops when it ends.

• Retakes may or may not be allowed. Some setups give you more than one try; others record once.

Because the settings differ, read the on-screen instructions and any practice screen before you begin, and follow the employer’s instructions. Don’t assume the timing or retake rules from a previous interview.

The most useful habit for this format is answering conclusion-first. State your main point in the first sentence, then give one supporting example, so the answer lands even if the timer runs out.

A conclusion-first answer (illustrative). Asked “Tell us about a time you improved a process,” Ana, an invented candidate, starts: “I cut our invoice approval time by moving it from email to a shared tracker.” Only then does she explain the problem, the steps she took and what changed. If time ran out halfway through, the reviewer would still have her answer.

AI video interview tips for the recording itself

Most of what helps here is simply good recording habits:

• Test your camera and microphone on the device you will use, ideally the day before.

• Pick a quiet room and silence notifications on every device nearby.

• Use steady light in front of you, not a bright window behind you.

• Look at the lens when you speak, not at your own image on the screen.

• Keep notes minimal. A few keywords are fine; reading a script shows.

• Run the practice question if one is offered.

Don’t use AI tools during the interview unless allowed

Some employers spell out that candidates can’t use AI help while interviewing. One example: TRM Labs says the use of AI tools of any kind, including notetakers, interview assistants and real-time coaching tools, is not permitted during its interviews without prior approval (TRM Labs posting, accessed Oct 19, 2026).

Rules differ by employer, and many don’t state theirs. If you aren’t sure whether a tool is allowed, ask the recruiter before the interview rather than guessing.

FAQ

Can I ask for a human interviewer?

You can ask the recruiter whether another format is available. This guide doesn’t say whether an employer has to agree.

Do these laws apply outside Illinois and New York City?

No. The Illinois rule applies to positions based in Illinois, and the New York City rule applies to use in New York City. Elsewhere, look up what applies where you are.

Conclusion: Prepare the stories, then the setup

Build and practice your stories first, because that is what any reviewer is listening for. Then read the format settings and any AI notice, test your setup, and answer with your main point first.