Chungin “Roy” Lee, a Columbia University computer science student, was suspended after creating and using “Interview Coder,” an AI tool that discreetly solved coding interview questions during Big Tech internship interviews. Lee documented his use of the tool online, claiming it helped him secure internship offers from companies like Amazon, Meta, and TikTok—some of which were later rescinded. Despite criticism and academic consequences, Lee’s app has grown popular, earning significant revenue and sparking conversation about AI’s impact on hiring processes, the ethics of interview preparation, and the limitations of traditional technical assessments like those found on LeetCode. Lee advocates for industry change, highlighting what he sees as the disconnect between real-world programming and current interview standards.
