Interview Signal Ask the AI: your own questions to the model mid-call
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Ask the AI is the text box under the follow-up suggestions on Interview Signal's live screen. While the interview runs, you type your own question, such as the right answer to a technical question, whether something the candidate said was correct, or how to word a delicate question, press Enter, and a few plain sentences come back. The AI sees the role, the question on the table, the last few minutes of the transcript and the CV if you attached one. The answer is for you only: it is never written into the transcript or the submittal, and it is not saved. This describes version 0.9.10, current as of October 2026.
How do I ask the AI a question during an interview?
- Click the box under Follow-ups. Its placeholder reads "Ask the AI — what is the right answer here? is that correct? how do I ask about…"
- Type your question in plain words.
- Press Enter. The box clears and the answer appears below it a moment later. Escape clears the box without asking.
- Read the answer. It starts with "You asked:" and your question, and a chip names the AI model that answered.
- Press Add as a question to put the answer on your guide, or the × to hide it.
One answer shows at a time; asking again replaces it.
What kinds of questions does it answer?
The AI is instructed to keep answers to a few sentences, because you are reading while the candidate talks, and to handle three kinds of question:
| You ask | What it is told to do | Example (illustration) |
|---|---|---|
| Whether a claim was correct | Say so plainly, give the reason in one line, and quote the candidate only as the words appear in the transcript | "Was what she said about FIFO and LIFO inventory correct?" |
| The right answer to a question | Give the answer an expert would give, at the level the role needs, in a form you can recognize when you hear it | "What should a good answer about database indexing include?" |
| How to phrase something | Give the exact words to say | "How do I ask about the gap in 2023 without leading?" |
If the transcript does not contain what you are asking about, it is told to say so rather than guess. Answers come in the interview language set for the call.
What does the AI see when I ask?
- The role title.
- The question on the table: the one pinned in your guide, or, with nothing pinned, your most recent turn that sounds like a question.
- Roughly the last four minutes of the conversation, not the whole interview.
- The opening part of the candidate's CV, if you attached one on the pre-interview screen (see attaching a CV).
- Your question.
It uses the model chosen under AI in the top bar. With Dual AI on, Ask the AI still uses only the first model.
What happens to the answer?
Nothing, unless you act on it. The answer is not added to the transcript, the scorecard or the submittal, and it is not saved with the interview; once you hide it or ask something else, it is gone. If you want to keep a point, type it into Your notes under the scorecard, which stays on your computer and goes into the submittal as your observation, never as the candidate's words.
Like the follow-ups and scoring, the request goes through Interview Signal to an AI model provider, named on the security page, under paid API terms that do not allow training on it. Interview Signal does not store it.
What does Add as a question do?
It takes the first line of the answer and adds it to the guide as a question, pinned, in the pinned question's category (or Experience when nothing is pinned). From there it behaves like any guide question: it ticks off when you ask it, carries a clock, and is scored against. The trick is to ask for a question in the first place, for example "Give me one question that tests whether he really ran the on-call rotation", then press Add as a question.
For three ready-made questions in a category, the guide's + Add and Suggest 3 do the same job in one step; see the question guide.
How is Ask the AI different from follow-ups and the accuracy check?
| Feature | When it runs | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Follow-ups | Automatically, after each substantial answer | Three questions to ask next |
| Accuracy check | Automatically, on technical, coding and system design questions | The candidate's claims marked green or red in the transcript |
| Ask the AI | Only when you type a question | A short answer to exactly what you asked |
It is most useful when you are interviewing outside your own field, which our guide to interviewing for technical roles as a non-technical recruiter covers in detail.
Limits
- It can be wrong. The answer comes from a fast model, and unlike scorecard quotes and accuracy-check marks, it is not checked against the transcript automatically.
- It only knows the last few minutes. For something said early in the call, scroll the transcript instead.
- It needs a connection, and it closes with the other AI features when your free minutes or bought hours are used up (see pricing).
- Nothing is saved. Copy anything you need before you hide it.
Questions people ask
Can I ask the AI a question during an interview in Interview Signal?
Yes. The live screen has a box under the follow-up suggestions where you type your own question, such as what the right answer is, whether a claim was correct, or how to phrase something, and press Enter. A few plain sentences come back, based on the role, the question on the table, the last few minutes of transcript and the CV if one is attached.
Does the candidate see what I ask the AI in Interview Signal?
No. Interview Signal runs on your computer and nothing joins the call, so the candidate sees nothing on their side. Your question and the answer are shown only on your screen, are never written into the transcript or the submittal, and are not saved with the interview.
Is the Ask the AI answer in Interview Signal always correct?
No. It comes from a fast AI model working from a few minutes of transcript, and unlike scorecard quotes it is not checked against the transcript automatically. Treat it as a quick reference while the candidate is talking, and rely on your own judgment and the candidate's answers for the decision.
What does Interview Signal send when I use Ask the AI?
Your question goes to the AI model with the role title, the question on the table, roughly the last four minutes of the conversation and, if attached, the opening part of the candidate's CV. Interview Signal does not store the question or the answer.