Interview-bypassing AI tool lands student developer in hot water
What's the story
Chungin Lee, a second-year computer science student at Columbia University, has been suspended for creating an AI tool to cheat in tech job interviews.
The 21-year-old developed Interview Coder, a desktop app designed to discreetly solve technical coding questions during interviews with leading global companies.
Lee demonstrated the use of his app during an Amazon internship interview in a now-removed YouTube video.
Tool functionality
How Interview Coder works
Interview Coder, which took Lee just four days to build, lets users take screenshots of problems without their browsers knowing about it.
The app then employs AI to process these images and offer real-time solutions.
This novel tool underscores the increasing adoption of generative AI technology across different domains, from academia to technical jobs.
Success stories
Lee's experience with Interview Coder
Lee claimed to have used Interview Coder to land job offers from Amazon, Capital One, Meta, and TikTok.
However, after publicly admitting to using AI in the interview process, several companies rescinded their offers.
Columbia University responded to Lee's actions by subjecting him to a disciplinary process that led to a year-long suspension.
Company response
Amazon's stance on AI tools in interviews
Amazon spokesperson Margaret Callahan said that while the company encourages candidates to share their experiences with generative AI tools relevant to their roles, they must also understand that unauthorized tools like generative AI technology cannot be used during the interview or assessment process.
Other companies involved did not respond to questions by NBC News.
Tool growth
Interview Coder gains popularity despite controversy
Since Lee started documenting his journey on social media around a month ago, Interview Coder has witnessed a 50% weekly user growth and is now generating $170,000 in monthly subscriptions.
Despite the controversy of its use, Lee has continued to build his brand online as a rebellious rule breaker.
He has gained over 43,000 new followers on X and around 11,000 new followers on LinkedIn.
Perspective
Lee's views on LeetCode and AI tools
Lee also voiced his displeasure with LeetCode, the popular online platform for coding interview prep questions, calling it "the 600 most miserable hours of my life when programming."
He claimed the questions on LeetCode don't reflect real-world tasks but are riddles to memorize.
This disillusionment has contributed to the popularity of other AI-powered interview cheating apps like Leetcode Wizard.