AI and Hiring Integrity: Why Many Employers Are Returning to In-Person Interviews

What is happening

On August 12, 2025, the Wall Street Journal reported that a growing number of employers are moving interviews back into the office to counter AI-assisted cheating and identity fraud in virtual hiring. Recruiters describe candidates taking off-screen prompts during live video interviews, using real-time answer tools, or even sending impostors enabled by deepfake technology. Surveys cited in the article indicate measurable self-reported cheating, and experts predict a sharp rise in fake candidate profiles over the next few years.

Why this matters to Florida employers

Returning to face-to-face interviews can strengthen identity assurance and skills validation, but it also introduces compliance considerations that apply in Florida and nationwide. Under Title VII, any screening method that disproportionately screens out protected groups can trigger scrutiny. The EEOC’s technical assistance on AI and selection procedures makes clear that employers are responsible for the impact of tools and processes used in hiring, referencing the Uniform Guidelines’ four-fifths rule and emphasizing the need to prove job-relatedness and business necessity.

Shifting to in-person interviews does not lessen obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The DOJ and EEOC, referencing the EEOC’s ADA guidance for software, algorithms, and AI, highlight the duty to provide reasonable accommodations and remove barriers throughout assessment and interviewing, including when requiring in-person attendance.

The U.S. Department of Labor has published AI best-practice principles and a Field Assistance Bulletin addressing AI and automated systems under federal labor standards. These stress transparency, human oversight, and recordkeeping—concepts that naturally extend to identity-verification tactics.

In Florida, the Civil Rights Act mirrors core federal protections and is enforced by the Florida Commission on Human Relations (FCHR). Interview formats and identity-verification steps should be applied consistently and documented to defend against both federal and Florida claims.

Practical actions for Florida employers

• Define when in-person interviews are required and why. Tie the requirement to essential job duties such as collaboration, client contact, or hands-on assessments. Maintain that rationale in your job files.

• Publish a neutral, consistent interview format policy that applies across candidates for the same role. Train interviewers to use structured questions and scoring guides.

• Add proportionate identity-assurance steps. Examples include government ID checks at sign-in, signed attestations, or secure proctoring for any remote skills screens. Vet vendors carefully and capture your due diligence.

• Offer reasonable accommodations for disabilities in both in-person and remote formats. Document the interactive process and alternatives provided.

• Monitor for disparate impact. Track selection rates by protected class for each stage and investigate gaps before final decisions. Keep validation materials for any tests or AI-assisted screens you use.

• For federal contractors, align your documentation with OFCCP expectations, including validation and periodic self-audits of any selection tools.

Bottom line

AI has improved hiring speed but also enabled sophisticated interview fraud. Returning key stages to the office can help verify identity and skills. Florida employers should pair that shift with clear policies, accommodation practices, and impact monitoring to stay aligned with Title VII, the ADA, and Florida’s Civil Rights Act.