I started Plumlo after what I thought was a routine scheduling call turned out to be an interview, with an AI recruiter, and I was already in the middle of it.
These are the numbers behind that experience. Every one links to where it came from, and I have said where each survey is thin.
If you are going to be interviewed by AI, you should at least know how common it is.
How common AI interviews are
The most recent data comes from the Greenhouse 2026 Candidate AI Interview Report, released May 1, 2026. Greenhouse surveyed 2,950 candidates across the US, UK, Germany, Australia and Ireland, including 1,200 in the US. Unless a figure says otherwise, the release says it reflects the US respondents.
Whether candidates are told
The first two numbers are the ones that matter most for preparation. If you are among the 70%, the first sign of an AI interview may be the interview itself. That is why identifying the platform from your invite email matters.
Walking away
Greenhouse also lists what drove people away: pre-recorded video interviews scored by AI with no human present (33%), companies failing to disclose how AI would be used (27%), and AI monitoring during the process (26%). The release does not restate the base for these three.
What happens afterward
The release does not state how many people are in that subgroup, so read these as the shape of the experience, not a precise rate. Greenhouse also reports that 38% came away with a more positive view of the employer and 34% with a more negative one.
Trust and bias
Greenhouse says candidates report nearly identical rates of perceived bias from AI and human interviewers. This is perception from a survey, not a measured finding about the systems themselves.
A separate Gartner survey, released July 31, 2025, found that 26% of candidates trust AI will fairly evaluate them. Gartner also reports that 52% of candidates believe AI screens their application information, and that 39% said they used AI during the application process (4Q24 wave). The survey waves ran from 4Q24 to 2Q25 with samples of roughly 2,900 to 3,300 each.
What candidates say they want
How to read these numbers
Both sources are surveys by organizations with a stake in hiring. Greenhouse sells hiring software and ran its own survey. Its release does not name a research firm and does not state field dates, sampling method or a margin of error. Gartner discloses sample sizes but only gives quarter labels for fielding, and its data is from 2025, so it is older.
Taken together, they point the same way: AI interviews are now common, many candidates are not told, and trust is low. They do not tell you the exact share of the whole labor market.
What this means if you have an invite
If you are one of the 63%, or about to be, the practical steps are simple. Work out which platform is on the other end using our guides to each AI interviewer. Practice answering out loud. And ask the employer, if it was not stated, what the AI is measuring and whether a person reviews the result. Greenhouse's data shows many candidates want exactly that.
Common questions
How many job seekers have faced an AI interview?
Greenhouse's 2026 Candidate AI Interview Report, published May 1, 2026, says 63% of US respondents have now been interviewed by an AI, up 13 percentage points from six months earlier. The survey covered 2,950 candidates, including 1,200 in the US, and the release says findings reflect US respondents unless noted.
How many candidates are told in advance that AI will evaluate them?
Greenhouse reports that 70% of candidates were never clearly told upfront that AI would be evaluating them, and 21% only found out once the interview started.
How many candidates have walked away because of an AI interview?
Greenhouse reports that 38% of candidates have walked away from a hiring process because it included an AI interview, and another 12% say they would.
What happens after an AI interview?
Among those who completed an AI interview, Greenhouse reports 28% moved to the next round, 13% were formally rejected and 51% never heard back. The release does not state the size of that subgroup.
Do candidates trust AI to evaluate them fairly?
A Gartner survey released July 31, 2025 found that 26% of candidates trust AI will fairly evaluate them. Greenhouse's 2026 survey found only 21% believe most employers use AI responsibly.
How reliable are these statistics?
Greenhouse sells hiring software, ran the survey itself, and does not state field dates or a margin of error. Gartner gives sample sizes but only quarter labels for fielding. Treat both as indicative of candidate sentiment, not as exact measurements of the whole labor market.
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