Alex is an AI recruiter, formerly called Apriora, that interviews candidates by phone, video, SMS, and WhatsApp. Alex says it asks follow-up questions based on your answers, records interviews, and shares recordings, transcripts, and notes with the employer's hiring team, which makes the hiring decisions. Alex doesn't publish how answers are scored, so this guide separates what Alex says from practical advice.
I didn't build Plumlo because AI interviewing is a bad idea. I built it because nobody warns you it's happening, or tells you what it's actually listening for.
Every AI interviewer is different. Some are one-way recordings. Some run off a fixed script. Some, like Alex, actually follow up on what you just said, in real time, at a pace most candidates aren't ready for.
Knowing which one you're walking into changes how you prepare.
Practice the conversation until the conversation is yours.
What Apriora's Alex actually is
Alex describes itself as an AI recruiter that interviews, screens, and schedules candidates for employers. Its candidate FAQ describes live, conversational interviews over video, phone, or chat, and says Alex asks follow-ups and reacts to your answers like a human recruiter might. Its site also lists SMS and WhatsApp and says it supports 30 languages. It's a two-way conversation, not a one-way recording you submit and wait on.
The company was originally named Apriora and now goes by Alex. Y Combinator's launch post lists it as "Alex (fka Apriora)", so you'll see both names depending on where you run into it: a job posting, an email, or a review site.
Where you're likely to run into it
Alex says it serves healthcare, manufacturing and logistics, research and biotech, retail and hospitality, professional services and technology, early careers, and staffing, and it lists more than 30 ATS integrations. Because it plugs into an employer's applicant tracking system, it can appear early in a hiring process, and the employer decides what gets switched on.
What Alex says about how it evaluates you
Alex says it uses standardized questions and objective rubrics. It doesn't publish the rubrics, the questions, or how answers are weighed, so any guide that gives exact weights is guessing. Here is what Alex does say:
Alex says recordings, transcripts, and notes go to the employer's hiring team and that humans make all hiring decisions. The practical takeaway is that a specific answer gives a follow-up something to work with, while a generic one invites "can you give me an example". That part is advice, not a published scoring rule.
Recording, feedback, and scheduling
Interviews are recorded. Alex says it doesn't scrape candidate information from third-party sites such as LinkedIn, GitHub, or Stack Overflow, and that it can't give candidates feedback directly, so don't expect a score back from Alex itself. Per its candidate FAQ, you get an email link to schedule at any time of day and can reschedule anytime, and technical support is at support@alex.com.
What happens if it glitches during your interview
It has happened publicly. In May 2025, 404 Media and the Daily Dot reported on a TikTok clip in which the AI avatar, then branded Apriora, repeated the phrase "vertical bar pilates" 14 times in 25 seconds during an interview for a Stretch Lab location in Ohio. The creator described the interview as creepy, and neither report included a response from the company.
If something like that happens in yours, it isn't something you caused. Alex's candidate FAQ says it doesn't make final hiring decisions or automatically reject candidates. It doesn't say how a malfunction is handled, so if your interview breaks or freezes, email support@alex.com and let the employer's recruiter know.
Five things to do before your Apriora Alex interview
1. Prepare real examples, not general statements
Since follow-up questions dig into whatever you just said, a specific story with a real outcome gives you somewhere solid to go. A general claim about your strengths gives Alex an easy opening to ask "can you give me a specific example," and you don't want to be building that answer live.
2. Practice saying your answers out loud
Alex describes live phone, video, and chat interviews. Which one you get, and whether you speak or type, depends on how the employer set it up, and Alex's FAQ doesn't say. For a call or video, the version of your answer that matters is the one you say out loud, not the one that sounds clean in your head.
3. Don't read the pace as a signal
Alex doesn't publish how fast it talks or how long interviews run, so don't treat the speed as feedback on how you're doing. Take a breath before you answer instead of rushing.
4. Expect a real follow-up, not just the next question
Practice not just your main answer but what you'd say if someone immediately asked "can you tell me more about that specific part." That follow-up is very likely coming.
5. Practice with an AI that scores your answers
The closest preparation available is a live simulation built from your actual job description, delivered by voice, and scored on what you actually say. That's what Plumlo does. One session before your Alex interview changes how you handle the real thing.
What to expect on the day
Alex says candidates get an email link to schedule and can reschedule. The interview itself is live and recorded, so find a quiet space with a stable connection and test your phone, or your camera and microphone, beforehand. Length isn't published, so check your invite.
Common questions
Is Apriora the same company as Alex AI?
Yes. Apriora is now Alex. Y Combinator's launch post lists the company as Alex (fka Apriora), and many job postings and older reviews still use the Apriora name.
Does Alex conduct interviews by phone or video?
Both, and more. Alex's site lists phone, video, SMS, and WhatsApp, and its candidate FAQ describes interviews over video, phone, or chat. Which one you get depends on how the employer set it up.
Does Alex score my answers?
Alex says it uses standardized questions and objective rubrics. It doesn't publish the rubrics, how answers are weighed, or how long interviews run, so treat any exact scoring rules you read elsewhere as unverified.
Can I type my answers instead of speaking them?
Alex's candidate FAQ doesn't say whether answers must be spoken or can be typed. Alex lists SMS and WhatsApp formats as well as phone and video, so it depends on the employer's setup. Check your invite, and practice out loud in case it's a call.
Does Alex check for cheating during the interview?
Alex says it does. Its Proctor feature monitors interviews in real time for things like tab switching, eye movement, background voices, and answers read from outside sources or generated by AI, and flags them with timestamps for the hiring team. Each employer configures how a flag is handled. Answer using what you actually know.
What if the AI glitches or freezes during my interview?
It has happened publicly: in May 2025, coverage described an avatar repeating a phrase 14 times in 25 seconds. Alex's candidate FAQ says it doesn't make final hiring decisions or automatically reject candidates. If yours breaks, contact support@alex.com and tell the employer's recruiter.
Does Alex record my interview?
Yes. Alex's candidate FAQ says interviews are recorded and that recordings, transcripts, and notes are shared with the employer's hiring team, and that humans make all hiring decisions. Alex says it can't give candidates feedback directly.
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