When it comes to hiring in tech, Google and Meta are moving in two very different directions, and the divergence could shape the future of work in Silicon Valley. While one company is tightening control over in-person assessments, the other is experimenting with AI as an active partner in interviews. Both moves reflect how artificial intelligence is redefining not just workflows but the very rules of evaluation.The urgency behind these shifts is clear: AI-powered cheating tools have made virtual interviews increasingly unreliable. Candidates are now able to use off-camera assistants to solve coding challenges in real time, blurring the line between genuine skill and AI support. For recruiters, this has turned remote hiring into a minefield, forcing companies like Google and Meta to rethink how they evaluate technical talent in an era dominated by AI.
Google brings back in-person interviews
For Google, the answer to AI-powered cheating is simple: Bring back face-to-face interactions. CEO Sundar Pichai announced on the Lex Fridman podcast in June that the company would introduce at least one round of in-person interviews to ensure candidates have the necessary fundamentals, according to the podcast. The problem has grown urgent. Software engineering interviews at Google, which rely on real-time coding challenges, have increasingly been compromised by off-camera AI assistance. During a February internal town hall meeting, employees pressed leadership to abandon remote interviews entirely. “Can we get onsite job interviews back?” one employee asked, according to audio recordings reviewed by CNBC. “There are many email threads about this topic. If budget is a constraint, can we get the candidates to an office or environment we can control?”. Brian Ong, Google’s Vice President of Recruiting, admitted that while virtual interviews are faster and easier to schedule, the company faces a fundamental challenge. According to CNBC, he acknowledged, “we definitely have more work to do to integrate how AI is now more prevalent in the interview process.” Some hiring managers report that over 50% of candidates are now cheating during technical interviews, forcing interviewers to probe extensively to assess real understanding, according to CNBC. Pichai’s response is a hybrid approach: A mix of virtual and in-person rounds. “Given we all work hybrid, I think it’s worth thinking about some fraction of the interviews being in person. I think it’ll help both the candidates understand Google’s culture and I think it’s good for both sides,” he said on the Lex Fridman podcast. The move signals a sharp reversal from pandemic-era hiring practices. As Ong noted to CNBC, Google isn’t alone in tackling this challenge. Competitor companies are grappling with the same problem, with AI increasingly complicating remote assessments.
Industry-wide caution: Anti-cheating measures everywhere
Other tech players are also reacting. According to CNBC, Anthropic, the maker of AI chatbot Claude, now explicitly prohibits AI use during applications, requiring candidates to demonstrate “non-AI-assisted communication skills.” Amazon has also begun requiring candidates to acknowledge they won’t use unauthorized tools during interviews. Cisco and McKinsey are also among companies bringing back face-to-face meetings at various stages, while Deloitte has reinstated in-person interviews for its UK graduate program, according to CNBC. For Google, the message is clear: Convenience cannot come at the cost of integrity.
Meta takes the opposite path
Meanwhile, Meta is exploring a very different approach. According to 404 Media, the company is actively testing AI-enabled interviews where coding candidates can use an artificial intelligence assistant during assessments. An internal memo titled “AI-Enabled Interviews—Call for Mock Candidates” invited employees to participate in mock interviews using AI support, reflecting the “developer environment that our future employees will work in”. A Meta spokesperson told 404 Media, “We’re obviously focused on using AI to help engineers with their day-to-day work, so it should be no surprise that we’re testing how to provide these tools to applicants during interviews”. The company is signaling that collaboration with AI may soon be an expected skill, not an unfair advantage. This aligns with CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s vision. According to the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, he stated that AI agents would soon function as “midlevel engineers” capable of writing code. “Over time,” he added, “we’ll get to a point where a lot of the code in our apps is actually going to be built by AI engineers instead of people engineers”.
The Cluely case: A glimpse into the future
The concept isn’t purely theoretical. Chungin “Roy” Lee, a Columbia University computer science student, created Interview Coder in early 2024—an AI tool that discreetly assisted candidates during coding interviews. Columbia suspended Lee for a year for violating academic integrity, according to Associated Press, but he later moved to San Francisco, rebranded the product as Cluely, and built it into a stealth-mode AI assistant used in interviews, exams, and meetings. By mid-2025, Cluely had raised over $20 million, including a $15 million Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz. Lee’s defiance is telling. According to Associated Press, he said, “Everyone uses AI now. It doesn’t make sense to have systems that test people as if they don’t.” Meta’s recent pilot suggests a shift in corporate thinking — from penalizing AI use to building evaluation frameworks around it.
What it means for candidates
The divergence between Google and Meta points to a broader debate: Should interviews measure raw individual skill, or should they test the ability to collaborate with AI? In Google’s world, fundamentals and independent problem-solving are non-negotiable. At Meta, the ability to co-create with AI may soon become the baseline. For aspiring tech professionals, the message is clear. Understanding AI won’t just be a bonus, it could define employability in the coming years. TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here.
