AI-Assisted Cheating Challenges Tech Interview Process
The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence is creating a dilemma for tech companies. As AI becomes more sophisticated, candidates are leveraging it to assist, and in some cases, outright cheat in virtual job interviews. This trend is forcing companies to re-evaluate their hiring processes, with some, like Google, considering a return to in-person interviews.
Chungin “Roy” Lee, a Columbia University student, exemplifies this evolving landscape. Lee admitted to using AI to successfully navigate virtual interviews on a prominent platform employed by numerous tech firms. He subsequently received multiple internship offers, which he turned down. Instead, he founded a startup, Interview Coder, designed to help others use AI to cheat during their technical interviews.
“Everyone programs nowadays with the help of AI,” said Lee, highlighting the changing dynamics of software development. His actions have drawn disciplinary proceedings from Columbia University. Lee argues the current interview format, which doesn’t account for the prevalence of AI, is outdated. This perspective resonates with a growing number of coders exploiting the limitations of remote job interviews, which became widespread during the pandemic. These candidates are using AI tools to generate optimal answers to questions off-camera.
The Rise of AI in Hiring
The emergence of generative AI, particularly with OpenAI’s ChatGPT in late 2022, has exacerbated the issue. Since then, tech companies have both downsized their workforces and embraced AI for code generation. For instance, Google CEO Sundar Pichai noted at a town hall that AI now writes over 25% of the new code at Google. This confluence of factors has created a novel challenge for recruiters.
The pervasiveness of the problem prompted Pichai to suggest that hiring managers consider a return to in-person interviews, a thought shared by other tech companies.
Cheating as a Business
Others like Lee are turning the problem into a business. Interview Coder provides a service that helps software developers cheat during job interviews; Lee uses his successful internship offers as proof of the product’s effectiveness. AI assistants can provide written code, suggest improvements, and generate detailed explanations, providing rapid assistance in timed interviews.
Detecting the Cheaters
Hiring managers are expressing their frustrations on social media, noting that those caught cheating are eliminated from consideration, and that they are exhausted from trying to differentiate between candidates’ skills and AI assistance. Anna Spearman, founder of Techie Staffing, describes common tells, such as pauses and the telltale “Hmm” sound, as candidates wait for their AI tools to complete the work.
“I’ll hear a pause, then ‘Hmm,’ and all of a sudden, it’s the perfect answer,” Spearman said. Henry Kirk, a software developer, notes that the technology to facilitate the cheating has improved, and is now harder to detect. InterviewCoder.co claims its system is undetectable by screen-detection features on platforms like Zoom and Google Meet.
Kirk hosted a June virtual coding challenge, and he discovered more than 50% of the applicants appeared to be cheating using AI-assistance. Other AI-cheating tools include Leetcode Wizard and ChatGPT.
Rethinking the Interview Process
The situation has become a significant topic at Google, with Pichai addressing it in February at an internal town hall. When asked about bringing back in-person interviews, Pichai deferred to Brian Ong, Google’s VP of recruiting, who noted that candidates and Google employees prefer virtual interviews because of scheduling ease and faster turnaround times.
Ong indicated interviewers are instructed to probe candidates on their answers to assess their true understanding. “Given we all work hybrid, I think it’s worth thinking about some fraction of the interviews being in person,” Pichai responded. “I think it’ll help both the candidates understand Google’s culture and I think it’s good for both sides.”
Other companies have already adjusted. Deloitte reinstated in-person interviews for its U.K. graduate program, while Anthropic issued new guidance discouraging the use of AI assistants during the job application process. Amazon requires candidates to acknowledge that they will not use unauthorized tools.
The ‘Leetcode’ Debate
Lee’s entrepreneurial ambition was specifically fueled by his disdain for Leetcode, the platform many tech companies use to assess software engineers. The homepage of Interview Coder is emblazoned with “Fuck Leetcode.” Many developers dislike the emphasis on coding challenges often perceived as irrelevant to their daily roles.
Lee stated that Leetcode’s emphasis on algorithmic problem-solving and its potential to waste time when no offer is received motivated Interview Coder. Interview Coder currently charges $60/month, and Lee predicts the business reaching $1 million in annual recurring revenue by mid-May.
Those who support AI-assistance in interviews argue this is just the natural evolution of how the industry works. One commenter on LinkedIn wrote, “Even the SAT lets you use a calculator…I think you just make it harder to succeed on purpose when in the real world Google and gpt will always be at my fingertips.”
Lee contends that companies should adapt to the changing landscape and embrace, rather than fight, AI’s role in coding.
