> Minor note: We observed that some students used AI during live discussions over Zoom (e.g. Cluely)

I frequently see this in remote interviews for senior developers. These are conversational interviews, not coding tests, but some candidates seem incapable of having a conversation without AI.

I can't imagine how these candidates would be able to meaningfully contribute to a whiteboard design discussion with real people.

For a previous client, we resorted to a simple in-person pen-and-paper screening questionnaire with 5 very basic questions. Many candidates declined to attend, and most of those that attended failed dismally.