Columbia Student’s AI App Sparks Ethical Debate
Roy Lee, a Columbia University student, developed an AI-powered tool called Interview Coder to assist with coding interviews. The tool, invisible to interviewers, uses AI to generate solutions to coding problems in real-time. Lee’s invention has stirred controversy and raised ethical questions about the role of AI in the hiring process.
Initially, Lee’s tool was successful, leading to internship offers from major tech companies like Amazon, Meta, TikTok, and Capital One. However, the story went viral, and now, all his job offers have been rescinded, and he faces a disciplinary hearing. In an interview with Gizmodo, Lee said that landing a job “wasn’t even his purpose.” He also said he would skip the hearing, indicating he may not care about conventional academic norms.
The Problem with Coding Interviews
Lee’s frustration stemmed from the traditional coding interview process. Tech companies, including FAANG (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google), often use LeetCode-style interviews. These interviews test a candidate’s ability to solve algorithmic puzzles under pressure, frequently using questions similar to those found on LeetCode, a popular coding platform. Lee argued that these interviews didn’t reflect the actual work of software engineers and that the focus on solving algorithm-heavy problems was outdated and didn’t accurately measure true programming ability.
How Interview Coder Works
Lee’s Interview Coder operates in the background of a user’s computer. It captures screenshots of coding problems as they appear and processes the images using AI, specifically ChatGPT, to generate solutions.
The tool essentially offered an AI-powered “cheat sheet.” This allowed candidates to more easily solve complex coding problems without spending months practicing LeetCode questions. Interview Coder was seemingly easy to create. Lee told Gizmodo that the software could be written in under 1,000 lines of code.
Ethical Questions and Social Media Reactions
Lee’s tool has created quite a stir. While some see it as a groundbreaking innovation for job seekers, others consider it a major ethical breach. Traditionalists argue that the tool gives an unfair advantage and devalues technical hiring assessments, wondering if the candidate is actually qualified if AI did most of the work.
Social media users reacted in a variety of ways. One user wrote, “You are legendary. Not because I want to cheat on a technical interview but because I’ve wanted to destroy and eliminate them for years.” Another predicted changes in hiring, suggesting that big tech companies may be forced to switch to in-person interviews or use Pearson VUE centers. A user commented, “I don’t understand why this would upset them. The point of AI is to make people more efficient. Calling it cheating is a little reductive.”
Others believed outdated hiring methods were to blame. Some commented, “That’s why stop asking stupid and outdated questions; as now technology evolves, you should evolve. Hire candidates who have exponential ability. Who can do shit? Do not hire by the LeetCode stuff!” Still, others expressed ethical concerns: “Two wrongs don’t make a right. You are wrong in this scenario.”
Lee doesn’t see his tool as cheating. He believes it “levels the playing field for candidates who may not have the time or resources to spend months practising LeetCode-style problems.”
What’s Next?
The attention Lee has received from the incident may be good for Interview Coder. Lee is now selling subscriptions to Interview Coder for $60 a month and is considering dropping out of Columbia to focus on his AI business full-time. He also admitted to Gizmodo that the coding interviews were a marketing ploy for his product.
Lee’s actions have also ignited new discussions regarding AI in education. Some are asking whether students should be allowed to use similar tools for learning and if it will make them overly dependent on AI. It seems that coding interviews may become AI-proof, or companies may start embracing AI-assisted hiring.
As AI tools like Interview Coder continue to evolve, tech companies may have to rethink their methods for assessing candidates. Lee’s actions are already having an impact on the industry.
