Adopted by 920 companies. The AI interview mechanisms and 3 countermeasures you should know while job hunting
Your next interview might just be with an AI.
You might think, "That's an exaggeration," but this is a reality.
Approximately 20% (20.6%) of Japanese companies have already introduced AI interviews.
Furthermore, 56.9% of companies responded that they are "positive about introducing them" (hrmony-ai.jp, 2026 edition).
For one specific service alone, the number of adopting companies has exceeded 920.
The number is continuing to grow at a pace of one company per day.
There are also forecasts that the number of adopting companies will exceed 50% within 3 to 5 years.
"I was prepared, but I was confused because I didn't know it was an AI interview."
"I approached it thinking it would be the same as a human-to-human interview, but it didn't go well."
Such voices are increasing among those currently job hunting.
Interviews, which used to be "human-to-human," are quietly and rapidly beginning to change.
Whether or not you are aware of this change will significantly alter the quality of your job hunting preparation.
What you will learn in this article
By reading this article, you will understand the following three things.
The 3 types of AI interviews and their respective characteristics
The reasons why companies choose AI interviews and the industries where adoption is progressing
The 5 differences from human interviews and countermeasures you can start today
Even if you are at the stage of asking, "What is an AI interview?", it is okay.
This article is structured so that you can grasp the overall picture of AI interviews just by reading it.
What is an AI interview? Organizing the 3 types
An AI interview is a recruitment mechanism where an AI asks questions instead of an interviewer and analyzes and evaluates the content of the answers, way of speaking, facial expressions, etc.
Many people are surprised, saying, "Wait, an AI is conducting the interview?", but it is already widely used, mainly by large companies.
There are broadly 3 types.
1. Recorded type (asynchronous type) — The most common format now
Candidates record and submit a video from their smartphone or PC.
The AI analyzes the video and audio afterward and assigns a score.
Characteristics:
Can be taken anytime, anywhere
Eliminates time and location constraints for both companies and job seekers
Some services allow you to re-record (with a limit on the number of attempts)
Currently the most common format
Common workflow:
You receive a URL for the test from the company
Access it via smartphone or PC
Read the questions displayed on the screen and answer while facing the camera
Complete the recording within the time limit and submit it
The advantage is that you can take it at your own pace, but on the other hand, there is the tension of knowing that even if you watch the recording and think it's not good, you cannot redo it after submission.
② Real-time interactive type—a format closer to an actual interview
This is a format where you converse in real-time while the AI dynamically changes the questions.
Features:
Follow-up questions are asked based on the content of your answers
Provides an experience closer to an actual interview
Fewer companies have adopted this compared to the recording type
It is starting to increase in tech companies and the IT industry
For example, if you are asked, 'Please tell us about an experience where you overcame a difficulty as a team,' and you answer, the AI will ask a follow-up question like, 'What was your role at that time?'
It feels similar to interacting with a human interviewer.
③ AI scoring assistance type—a combination of human and AI
The AI provides supplementary scoring for interviews conducted by human interviewers.
Features:
The interview itself is conducted by a human
AI analyzes facial expressions, voice, and response content behind the scenes
Complements the interviewer's subjectivity and increases evaluation consistency
Reports the 'evaluation points of this candidate' to the interviewer
This format looks like a 'normal interview' to the candidate.
However, because AI is analyzing behind the scenes, eye contact and speaking style also affect the score.
We are entering an era where you cannot let your guard down just because it is a human interview.
Why are companies choosing AI interviews now?
You might think, 'Is it really necessary to use AI?'
Companies have compelling reasons.
Reason 1: Significantly reduces the time required for interviews
At SoftBank, the introduction of AI interviews reduced the time required for interviews from '1 hour per person' to '5 minutes' (keiei-digital.com, 2025).
Let's look at this with concrete numbers.
Time required per person | Approx. 1 hour | Approx. 5 minutes
Time required for 10 interviews | 10 hours | Approx. 50 minutes
Time required for 100 interviews | 100 hours (approx. 12.5 days) | Approx. 8 hours (1 day)
Popular companies may receive hundreds of applications for a single position.
The reality is that it is becoming physically difficult to handle this with humans alone.
Reason 2: Reduces evaluation variance
In human interviews, evaluations can change depending on the interviewer.
'Time-of-day bias' where they are strict in the morning and lenient in the afternoon
'Primacy effect' where the overall evaluation is determined by the first impression
'Similarity bias' where people with similar backgrounds to oneself are rated higher
AI is not swayed by these 'unconscious biases.'
It evaluates all candidates based on the same criteria.
For those who want to be 'judged fairly,' there are aspects that can actually be an opportunity.
Reason 3: Increases hiring speed
In traditional hiring, just scheduling interviews could take 1 to 2 weeks.
With AI interviews, applicants can take the test at their preferred time.
Companies can also check AI scoring results immediately, which significantly speeds up the selection process.
Beyond reducing the burden on recruiters, there are also the following benefits.
Cost reduction: Eliminates the need for personnel, venue, and scheduling costs
Can accommodate candidates from rural areas or overseas: Removes geographical constraints
Can screen a large number of applicants in a short period: Easier to handle during busy seasons
As competition in the job market intensifies, companies seek more efficient hiring methods.
AI interviews are spreading rapidly as one of the answers to this.
Industries with many AI interviews and those without
It is not used in the same way across all industries.
We will organize the current adoption status.
Industries where adoption is particularly advanced
IT/Startups| Low resistance to technology, leading to early adoption
Finance/Insurance| High volume of annual hiring, strong need for efficiency in initial screening
Retail/Service industry| Large number of hires such as store staff, high burden of interviews
Recruitment/HR industry| High interest in recruitment technology, actively adopting it in-house
What these industries have in common is that they have a large number of hires.
It is used for the purpose of streamlining initial screening with AI and narrowing down to only those candidates the interviewer truly wants to meet.
Industries with low adoption
On the other hand, AI interview adoption is still limited in fields like medical/nursing care, civil service, and traditional manufacturing.
Industries that prioritize face-to-face communication skills or have institutional constraints tend to be cautious about adoption.
Spreading from new graduates to mid-career
It is already becoming standard in new graduate hiring.
Cases of using AI for initial interviews in mid-career hiring are also increasing.
We will explain more details about 'what the situation is in the industry you are targeting' in the 33rd installment.
We recommend checking the encounter rate of AI interviews by industry before applying.
How is it different from a normal interview—5 differences
"AI interviews are still interviews, right? Can't I just prepare the same way?"
Many people think that, but there are points that are clearly different from human interviews.
If you don't grasp these, you might end up unable to demonstrate your true ability.
Difference 1: You cannot rephrase your answers
With a human interviewer, if you feel like you didn't get your point across clearly, there is room to provide another example or add supplementary information.
You can judge whether to explain more by watching the interviewer's nods and facial expressions.
AI interviews (especially recorded ones) evaluate what is recorded as-is.
There is almost no opportunity to rephrase or add information.
Countermeasure: If you structure your answers in the order of "Conclusion → Reason → Specific Example → Summary," it becomes easier to convey your point in a single statement.
Difference 2: You cannot "read the room"
Humans adjust their speech while watching the other person's reaction.
You can provide more detail if the interviewer shows interest, or stick to the main points if they seem bored.
AI does not have that kind of two-way interaction.
Instead of trying to gauge the other person's mood, you need to speak in a "clear structure" from the start.
Countermeasure: If you make it a habit to "state the conclusion first" for any question, your answers will be easy for both AI and humans to understand.
Difference 3: You need to look at the camera
In face-to-face interviews with humans, you can make eye contact naturally.
However, in AI interviews, you tend to look at your own face on the screen or the question text.
AI analyzes the direction of your gaze.
If you don't consciously treat the camera lens as the "other person's eyes," it will be judged as "unstable eye contact."
Countermeasure: A method of sticking a small sticker or sticky note next to the camera and consciously "looking there" is effective. Try recording yourself with your smartphone during practice to check your eye contact.
Difference 4: Silence is likely to be evaluated negatively
In a human interview, if you say "Please let me think for a moment," they will wait for you.
The interviewer might even view you favorably as "someone who thinks carefully."
In an AI interview, the time spent in silence is also recorded as data.
Long silences may be judged as "stuck on the answer."
Countermeasure: When you need time to think, if you say "Let me organize my thoughts for a moment" out loud before thinking, it will be easier for the AI to interpret it as an "intentional pause."
Difference 5: How you appear on screen is more important than your grooming
In face-to-face interviews, things like the texture of your suit or how polished your shoes are might be seen.
In an AI interview, everything that appears on the camera is all that matters.
If the background is cluttered or the lighting is dim and your face is not clearly visible, the accuracy of facial analysis will decrease.
As a result, your true evaluation may not be reflected correctly.
Countermeasure:
Keep the background simple, such as a white wall
Ensure light hits your face from the front (do not have a window behind you)
Position the camera at eye level or slightly higher
3 preparations to avoid failure in an AI interview
Based on the differences mentioned so far, here are three preparations you should make before facing an AI interview.
Preparation 1: Record yourself answering and watch it back
Try recording yourself answering potential questions using your smartphone camera.
There are three points to check.
Are you looking at the camera?
Is your speaking speed too fast? (Aim for 300 characters per minute)
Are you stating your conclusion first?
You might feel embarrassed watching your own video.
However, in an AI interview, the recorded footage is exactly what is being evaluated.
Checking how you appear in advance is one of the most effective preparations.
Preparation 2: Prepare a 'template' for your answers
In AI interviews, structured answers are highly evaluated.
The recommended template is the 'STAR method' (a framework for answering).
S (Situation): What was the background?
T (Task): What was required of you?
A (Action): What specific actions did you take?
R (Result): What was the outcome?
Speaking in these 4 stages makes it easier for the AI to judge your response as "logical."
Detailed instructions on how to use the STAR method and templates by job type are summarized in the paid article.
Preparation 3: Set up your testing environment
The advantage of AI interviews is that you can take them anywhere.
However, that does not mean you can take them just anywhere.
Here is a checklist before you begin.
Have you secured a quiet location?
Is the background simple?
Is the lighting hitting your face from the front?
Is your network connection (internet line) stable?
Is the camera at eye level?
Have you turned off smartphone notifications?
These may seem like obvious things.
However, there are many cases where your true potential was not conveyed due to the environment.
Summary: 3 things you should know about AI interviews
Already adopted by over 920 companies, with expectations to exceed 50% of companies within 3 to 5 years
There are 3 types: recorded, interactive, and auxiliary, and usage varies by company
Know the 5 differences from human interviews and prepare with 3 things: recording practice, response patterns, and environment setup
Next action: Things you can do starting today
Try recording your own response to just one question on your smartphone("Please introduce yourself" is fine)
Review the recording and check your eye contact, speaking speed, and the placement of your conclusion
Learn what the AI is grading in the next article (Part 32)
It is a small step, but whether or not you do this preparation will make a difference.
If you found this article helpful, please press the ♡ button; it will encourage me for the next article.
I have a question for you.
Have you ever had an AI interview? If you have any experiences, please let me know in the comments.
Voices saying "this happened" or "I took these measures" will be a great reference for other readers.
Next article to read
In the next 32nd installment, I will specifically explain "what AI is grading."
By knowing what the AI is looking at across the three axes of facial expression, voice, and content of answers, you can narrow down your countermeasures.
▼ AI scores facial expressions, voice, and words simultaneously. The full picture of evaluation criteria that people taking AI interviews should know
Once you understand the mechanism of AI interviews, the next step is practical countermeasures.
I have summarized all the preparations that people who passed AI interviews did.
It includes how to use the STAR method (a pattern for answering), 30 frequently asked questions, and answer templates by job type.
▼ Everything people who passed AI interviews are doing [Includes 30 frequently asked questions + templates by job type]
AI Job Change Lab | 31st Installment 2026-04-12