Why aren't candidates allowed to use AI during technical assessments, even when the job itself does not prohibit it? Interviewers don't let candidates use AI during technical challenges because it blurs the line between knowing and not knowing core programming concepts, and why would you want that line to be blurred during an interview? You have about 60-90 minutes to evaluate whether the true knowledge of a candidate. AI can be picked up fairly quickly, whereas picking up programming takes a very long time. During an interview, you screen for the hardest skill, not the complement to that skill.