# How To Flag and Prevent Job Application AI Cheating | Capterra > Capterra data reveals most job seekers are using AI to help them in their job search. Learn how to identify job application AI and remove fraudulent candidates. Source: https://www.capterra.com/resources/how-to-stop-job-application-ai-cheating --- Small Business RecruitingHuman Resources # Nearly Half of Job Seekers Are Using AI To Cheat—Here’s How Recruiters Can Fight Back Contributor: Brian Westfall Brian WestfallContributor HR Technology Expert Experience I worked at Capterra for over a decade, becoming a trusted thought leader on all aspects of the HR technology market. I have... [See bio & all articles](https://www.capterra.com/resources/author/bwestfall/) and edited by: Carolyn Santa Maria Carolyn Santa MariaEditor Carolyn Santa Maria is a senior editor at Capterra. Carolyn has been working in content for more than five years as an editor. With her keen eye for detail, ... [See bio & all articles](https://www.capterra.com/resources/author/carolyn-santa-maria/) Published August 29, 2024 9 min read Table of Contents - [Job seekers are successfully using AI to their advantage](#most-job-seekers-are-successfully-using-ai-to-gain-a-hiring-advantage) - [Job seeker AI uses range from acceptable to devious](#job-seeker-ai-uses-range-from-acceptable-to-devious) - [How to reduce AI deception and identify AI cheaters](#how-to-reduce-ai-deception-and-identify-ai-cheaters) ## Which AI uses are fair game vs. foul play? Recruiting teams must decide, then act. Seasoned recruiters are no strangers to people exaggerating their credentials to land a job, but job seekers now have a new tool to take their deception even further in the form of artificial intelligence (AI). Capterra’s Job Seeker AI Survey of nearly 3,000 job seekers from 12 different countries reveals that a majority (58%) are using AI tools to help them in their current job search.[\*](#methodology) And of those that are using AI, 83% say they have leveraged it to exaggerate or lie about their skills on a resume, cover letter, job application, or skills assessment. For recruiters, hiring managers, or even small-business owners trying to quickly evaluate and hire the best candidate, job seekers using bots and other AI tools to mask a skills deficiency represent a new obstacle in the war for talent. Companies aren’t without their own weapons in this fight, however. With help from the [right recruiting software](https://www.capterra.com/recruiting-software/) and hiring process changes, you can minimize AI cheating, flag deceptive AI content, and eliminate fraudulent candidates. Key insights - The top benefits of AI, according to job seekers that use AI in their job search, are being able to apply to jobs faster (24%) and appear as a better job candidate (23%). - Job seekers that use AI complete more job applications and are 53% more likely to receive a job offer than those that don’t use AI. - 29% of job seekers have used AI to complete a test assignment or skills assessment, 28% have used AI to generate interview question answers, and 26% have used AI to mass apply to jobs. ## Most job seekers are successfully using AI to gain a hiring advantage At the same time that recruiters are evaluating all the ways AI can benefit their operations (Gartner says recruiting has the most current use cases for GenAI in the HR space [\[1\]](#sources)), so too are job seekers discovering all the ways AI can give them an edge in getting hired. An online search for “job seeker AI tools” reveals an emerging market of applications that are designed to help job seekers in various stages of the recruiting and hiring process: - GenAI bots, such as ChatGPT, can create or refine resumes, cover letters, and other job seeker writing samples to appear more professional. - AI-powered job search tools, such as Sonara, can learn the types of jobs that people are most interested in and mass apply to them on their behalf. - AI teleprompter tools, such as Interview Copilot, can listen in on phone or video job interviews and provide real-time suggestions and answers to interviewees. _Screenshot of Interview Copilot (Source [\[2\]](#sources))_ All told, 58% of job seekers in our survey say they are using tools like these in their current job search, and another 24% plan to use these tools in the future. Of those that use AI, 57% say it’s very or extremely important to their current job search. What is prompting this widespread interest in AI? One reason is to stay ahead of the competition. With 82% of respondents saying it's likely that other people applying for similar jobs are using AI to embellish or exaggerate their job applications, job seekers may feel the need to adopt AI simply to keep up with other candidates. Job seekers that use AI are more successful as well. When asked what they believe is the top benefit of using AI in their job search, the two most cited answers in our survey were being able to apply to jobs faster and appear as a better job candidate. The numbers back this up. Comparing AI and non-AI users, we find that not only have AI users completed 41% more job applications on average during their current search (157 vs. 111), but they’ve also been 53% more likely to receive a job offer than those who don’t use AI. ## Job seeker AI uses range from acceptable to devious For employers trying to hire the best candidate for the job, job seeker AI usage is a complex issue. Not only can AI content or assistance be hard to detect, but some of the ways that AI is being used by job seekers aren’t even necessarily detrimental to the candidate evaluation process. For example, the most common ways job seekers have used AI in their current search are to write/refine their resume (40%), find relevant job openings (37%), or write/refine their cover letter (33%). In many organizations, if the candidate is still truthful about their qualifications, these uses are not only tolerated but often encouraged to demonstrate familiarity with AI tools.  In our 2023 [survey of HR employees](https://www.capterra.com/resources/chatgpt-for-hr/), 86% said if they discovered a job applicant had used a chatbot to help write their cover letter or resume, it would change their opinion of the applicant in a positive way.[\*\*](#methodology) On the other hand, some AI uses cross the line and represent an active effort by job seekers to deceive the employer or disrupt their hiring processes: - 29% have leveraged AI to complete a test assignment or skills assessment, potentially to hide a lack of relevant skills or knowledge for the job. - 28% have leveraged AI to generate answers to interview questions, again to potentially hide a lack of relevant skills or knowledge for the job. - 26% have leveraged AI to mass apply to jobs, clogging recruiting pipelines with undifferentiated applications. Companies have a difficult time identifying the best job candidate as it is. In a survey, nearly three in four small-business employers said they’ve hired the wrong person for a position in the past—costing them as much as $10,000 to rectify. [\[3\]](#sources) If businesses don’t get on top of job seeker AI deception soon, even more costly bad hires will follow. ## How to reduce AI deception and identify AI cheaters The first step for your recruiting team right now is to decide as an organization which job seeker AI uses are acceptable, and which ones need to be flagged as cheating. Your criteria should include the types of roles you’re hiring for, the sources for candidate information in your recruiting process, and the level of risk you’re comfortable with if a deceptive applicant goes undetected.  Once the decision has been made regarding which AI uses by job seekers should be flagged, here are some ways you can reduce the likelihood of AI cheating in your recruiting pipeline and successfully flag AI content when it appears. ### 1\. Make clear to applicants what AI uses are considered unacceptable Of the job seekers in our survey who don’t use AI, 21% express concern that using AI tools could be perceived as cheating by an employer. Stating outright on your job application page that lying about skills or credentials using AI will result in a candidate’s removal from job consideration won’t stop every cheater, but it will at least give some hesitancy to those that are thinking about using AI to deceive. ### 2\. Fight AI with AI If job seekers are flooding your inbox with AI-generated applications and resumes, reviewing each one manually will take too much time and delay your hiring decision. Luckily, you have your own AI you can lean on to evaluate candidates more quickly. Gartner says 80% of recruiting technology vendors will have embedded AI capabilities into their offerings by 2027. [\[4\]](#sources) If your applicant tracking system (ATS) doesn’t have AI capabilities now, it likely will soon, and one such capability you’ll want to keep an eye on is the ability to automatically screen applications for relevant skills and experience and float them to the top of the consideration list. Just be sure to test the AI’s ability to find the candidates you’re actually looking for before deploying it. [**Check out our Capterra Shortlist of the top applicant tracking systems here**](https://www.capterra.com/applicant-tracking-software/shortlist/)**.** ### 3\. Ditch phone interviews Job seekers will be more inclined to use AI teleprompter tools to feed them the right answers in interviews if you can’t see them. For this reason, consider minimizing the use of phone interviews and converting them to video or in-person interviews instead. [**Compare video interviewing software systems here**](https://www.capterra.com/video-interviewing-software/)**.** ### 4\. Use an AI content checker Despite concerns about AI cheating, popular AI content generators, such as ChatGPT, have been reluctant so far to release tools to identify AI content. [\[5\]](#sources) Instead, plagiarism checker software tools have been the ones to step up by adding their own AI content detection features in recent years.  Recruiters would be wise to take advantage of these tools. Simply paste or upload the text from a resume, cover letter, or test assignment, and these tools will tell you if the content was likely generated by AI.  [**Find the right plagiarism checker software with AI content detection for your needs and budget here**](https://www.capterra.com/plagiarism-checker-software/)**.** ### 5\. Lean more on references If a candidate says they have certain experience or a specific skill, the best way to confirm if they really do is through references. Simply asking relevant references, such as former managers or co-workers, if a candidate likely had a skill they put in a resume or said in an interview can give you the evidence you need. [**Reference check software can automate reference check requests and track them over time. Learn more here**](https://www.capterra.com/reference-check-software/)**.** ### 6\. Dedicate more time to candidate screening and evaluation Our [recent survey of middle managers](https://www.capterra.com/resources/middle-manager-burnout-strategies/) reveals that they spend only 3% of their week, on average, on recruiting and hiring tasks.[\*\*\*](#methodology) The less time that hiring managers dedicate to recruiting, the more likely they will rely on easily-fabricated content such as resumes and cover letters to evaluate candidates. By shifting the culture around recruiting, and convincing busy managers to prioritize it more as needed, they can lend more of an effort to flag and eliminate AI cheaters. ## Get ahead of AI cheating today As more job seekers realize the benefits of AI to their job search, employers will need to move quickly to draw their line in the sand on what constitutes AI fair play. Those that then combine the right AI detection tools with critical recruiting processes and culture changes will have a clear advantage in identifying and hiring truly talented candidates. **If you liked this report, check out these other resources on recruiting and hiring:** - [What (If Anything) Should Employers Do About Side Gigs?](https://www.capterra.com/resources/side-business-conflict-of-interest/) - [Are HR Chatbots Ready for the Spotlight? Users Aren't So Sure](https://www.capterra.com/resources/hr-chatbot-research/) - [How To Build a Successful Recruitment Plan](https://www.capterra.com/resources/recruitment-plan/) _Note: The applications selected in this article are examples to show a feature in context and are not intended as endorsements or recommendations._ * * * **Methodologies** \*Capterra's Job Seeker AI Survey was conducted in July 2024 among 2,997 respondents in the U.S. (n: 250), Canada (n: 250), India (n: 250), Brazil (n: 250), Mexico (n: 250), the U.K. (n: 250), France (n: 247), Italy (n: 250), Germany (n: 250), Spain (n: 250), Australia (n: 250), and Japan (n: 250). The goal of the study was to to understand the factors in AI-driven recruiting processes, and how prevalent AI tool usage is among job seekers. Respondents were screened to be actively looking for a job. \*\*Capterra’s 2023 HR Chatbot Survey was conducted in March 2023 among 300 HR employees in the U.S. The goal of the study was to understand how HR was leveraging chatbots in their current job. \*\*\*Capterra's 2023 Manager Sentiment Survey was conducted in December 2023 among 340 middle managers around the world to learn more about their experiences and challenges in their current role. Respondents had to be full- or part-time employees at the management level in one of four English-speaking countries: Australia, Canada, the U.K., or the U.S. Sources 1. [Innovation Insight: Generative AI in HR](https://www.gartner.com/document-reader/document/4655199), Gartner (full research available to Gartner clients) 2. [Interview Copilot](https://www.finalroundai.com/v2/interview-copilot), Final Round AI 3. [3 in 4 Small Business Employers Have Hired the Wrong Person](https://resources.careerbuilder.com/small-business/survey-3-in-4-small-business-employers-have-hired-the-wrong-person), CareerBuilder 4. [Market Guide for Talent Acquisition (Recruiting) Technologies](https://www.gartner.com/doc/5308963), Gartner (full research available to Gartner clients) 5. [There’s a Tool to Catch Students Cheating With ChatGPT. OpenAI Hasn’t Released It.](https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/openai-tool-chatgpt-cheating-writing-135b755a), Wall Street Journal * * * ### Was this article helpful? * * * ## About the Authors [### Brian Westfall](https://www.capterra.com/resources/author/bwestfall/) Brian Westfall worked at Capterra for over a decade, becoming a trusted thought leader on all aspects of the HR technology market. He has a passion for helping organizations create great workplaces by leveraging his keen attention to detail and ability to present information engagingly. Before Capterra, he honed his writing skills in journalism, social media content creation, and search engine advertising. [### Carolyn Santa Maria](https://www.capterra.com/resources/author/carolyn-santa-maria/) Carolyn Santa Maria is a senior editor at Capterra. Carolyn has been working in content for more than five years as an editor. With her keen eye for detail, technical experience, and cross-team collaborative expertise, she has developed new content types, briefs, and processes for a variety of different projects and teams. She has edited a large variety of content, including research reports, white papers, eBooks, email marketing campaigns, and many other types of technical papers. 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