Synopsis

Campus hiring faces a new wave of sophisticated cheating, fueled by generative AI. Recruiters are battling AI-powered tools, proxy candidates, and "interview-as-a-service" networks. Indian tech firms are deploying AI proctoring and coding assessment platforms to combat this growing threat. Companies are increasingly shifting to proctored technical assessments, recognizing that traditional tests often overlook AI-assisted methods, making live follow-up interviews a crucial defense.

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The rapid adoption of generative AI is creating new challenges for campus hiring, with recruiters reporting a surge in sophisticated cheating techniques during online assessments. From hidden wearable devices and AI-powered tools to proxy candidates and remote "ghost coders," companies say hiring fraud has become far more organised, reported TOI.

Recruiters also point to the emergence of "interview-as-a-service" networks, where candidates receive professional assistance to clear hiring rounds. In response, companies are increasingly relying on AI-powered proctoring and assessment platforms to detect suspicious behaviour and protect the integrity of recruitment processes.

Indian technology firms are using AI-powered proctoring platforms such as Talview and Mercer Mettl, along with coding assessment platforms including HackerEarth and HackerRank, to monitor online tests.

"We flag about 30%-35% of sessions with at least one suspicious behaviour. The biggest issue is the use of AI-powered cheating apps," Vivek Ravisankar, co-founder and CEO of tech hiring platform HackerRank told TOI.

AI-powered monitoring becomes key defence

To tackle AI-enabled cheating, companies are gradually moving away from conventional browser-based coding tests.

Modern AI-powered proctoring systems analyse webcam footage, audio, screen activity and other signals to identify suspicious behaviour during online assessments, allowing recruiters to detect attempts to gain unfair assistance.

According to HackerEarth, cheating techniques have become increasingly sophisticated with the rise of generative AI.

The company says the four most common forms of malpractice are AI-generated code submissions, proxy candidates hired through Discord or Telegram groups, off-camera assistance using secondary devices or another person providing answers, and the use of virtual machines or remote desktop software to hide a separate AI session from proctoring systems.

"The common thread is that nearly all of these exploit the same weakness—a static assessment that scores only the final answer without observing how it was produced," Aditya said. "Our most effective defence is a short live follow-up interview where candidates explain their solution. Most candidates who relied on AI fail within two questions."

Companies step up proctored assessments

The growing threat of AI-enabled cheating is prompting more employers to adopt proctored technical assessments.

According to HackerEarth's 2025 Technical Hiring Landscape Report, the share of companies using proctored technical assessments increased from 64% at the beginning of 2025 to 77% by July.

The report also found that nearly two-thirds of all technical hiring assessments conducted during the year were proctored, reflecting recruiters' increasing concerns over AI-assisted malpractice.

Industry executives believe many companies still underestimate the scale of the problem because traditional coding tests evaluate only the final output rather than the process used to arrive at the solution, making it easier for candidates to hide AI-assisted cheating.