Skip to content
Track Your DSA
Sign in

updated 13 October 2026

AI coding interviews: what changed, and how to prepare

Some coding rounds now let you use an AI assistant. That doesn't make them easier. It moves the test from writing code to judging it.

What changed

Google
A pilot for junior and mid-level roles on some US teams adds a code comprehension round: you read, debug and improve existing code with Gemini available. It's scored on AI fluency, including how you check the AI's output and debug it. Reported in May 2026, with a wider rollout planned for the second half of the year. source
Meta
An AI-enabled coding round was added to the onsite loop in October 2025. It scores how you use AI to write, review and debug code, and how you explain the trade-offs. A round without AI stays in the loop. source
Others
Canva, Shopify, Rippling and Coinbase are reported to allow AI in some rounds too. source
Freshers in India
Entry-level job ads increasingly list AI skills, and more companies test what you can do rather than filter on marks. source

What one of these questions feels like

An AI wrote this. It should return True if numbers at two different positions add up to the target. It passes the obvious tests. Does it work?

1def has_pair(nums, target):
2    seen = set(nums)
3    return any(target - x in seen for x in nums)
Show the bug

Try has_pair([5, 1], 10). There's only one 5, so the answer is False, but the code pairs the 5 with itself and returns True. Spotting that is exactly the skill these rounds score.

The five skills they test

  1. 1

    Read code you didn't write

    The round starts with existing code. You have to say what it does, line by line, before you can judge it.

    Practise: Code Detective, module 1
  2. 2

    Find the input that breaks it

    Google calls it output validation. AI code usually works on the obvious case; the skill is finding the empty list, the negative number, the repeat.

    Practise: Bug Hunt practice
  3. 3

    Debug it

    Once it breaks, find the exact line and fix it without breaking anything else.

    Practise: Code Detective
  4. 4

    Judge whether it's fast enough

    Two versions both give the right answer. One takes a second, the other an hour. You need to see which, and why.

    Practise: Code Detective, speed races
  5. 5

    Still solve problems on your own

    The AI-free coding round hasn't gone away. You can't check code you couldn't have written.

    Practise: The DSA route

A simple weekly plan

  • Every day: find one bug, solve one DSA problem.
  • Every week: one Code Detective module, and one duel with a friend.
  • Before an interview: say out loud why the code is right, not only that it is. That's what interviewers listen for.

Questions

Can I use ChatGPT in a coding interview?

Only where the company says so, and only the tool it provides (Gemini, in Google's pilot). Using AI in a round where it isn't allowed counts as cheating and usually ends the process.

Do I still need DSA?

Yes. The AI rounds sit next to ordinary coding rounds, not in place of them, and checking an AI's solution means knowing the patterns, the edge cases and the complexity yourself.

Do companies in India interview this way?

The rounds reported so far are at large US tech companies. Campus tests in India are changing more slowly, but entry-level job ads increasingly ask for AI skills. Preparing for both kinds of round is the safe bet.

What's the fastest way to practise?

Short and daily: one bug to find and one DSA problem a day beats a long weekend session. Bug Hunt puzzles take about five minutes each.

Find your first bug in five minutes.

Start free