Use AI Responsibly When Hiring Junior Creatives

AI tools are now part of the creative process, but employers are unsure how to assess work that may have been AI-assisted. Some reject any AI involvement outright, while others do not ask about it at all. Neither approach is helpful.

Employers understand the difference between using AI as a tool and using AI as a substitute for creative thinking. They ask candidates to disclose AI use, assess the thinking behind the work, and set clear expectations about responsible AI use in the role.

Assess AI use across seven areas:

• AI-assisted creative work: Was AI used as a tool or a crutch?
• Disclosure: Can the candidate explain how and where AI was used?
• Originality: Is the creative thinking theirs, or generated by the tool?
• Copyright and IP: Do they understand the legal implications of AI-generated content?
• Confidentiality: Do they understand what should and should not be put into AI tools?
• Fact-checking: Can they verify AI output rather than accepting it blindly?
• Human judgement: Can they exercise quality control over AI-assisted work?

In a portfolio review, ask the candidate: "Did you use AI tools in this project? If so, how?" A candidate who can clearly explain which parts were AI-assisted, why they made those choices, and how they exercised judgement over the output is demonstrating responsible AI use. A candidate who either denies all AI use or cannot explain their process may not be thinking critically about the tools.