AI Cheating? Student Uses AI, Lands Top Tech Internships

CNBC recently reported that Chungin “Roy” Lee, a 21-year-old computer science student from Columbia University, exploited the inherent limitations of remote interviews by secretly employing artificial intelligence tools to identify optimal responses, thereby substantially enhancing his chances of securing employment.

Through this approach, Lee successfully secured internship offers from several prestigious companies, including Amazon, Meta, and TikTok. However, instead of accepting these opportunities, he relocated to San Francisco, where he founded a startup named “Interview Coder,” dedicated to leveraging AI technology to help software developers improve their job interview outcomes.

Despite later receiving disciplinary action from Columbia University, Lee asserted that since most developers currently rely on AI-assisted tools for programming tasks, preventing candidates from showcasing their proficiency with artificial intelligence during interviews would obscure rather than highlight their true capabilities and value.

Due to practical constraints like geographical distances and international recruitment, most technical interviews are now conducted online. Software developers are typically assessed through demonstrations of previously written code, live code modifications, or explanations of their coding logic. Increasingly, candidates exploit the limitations of virtual interviews by using AI tools discreetly, beyond the view of their interviewers, to swiftly generate optimal solutions in response to questions posed during interviews.

Although many companies actively promote the use of AI tools for code writing, debugging, and identifying vulnerabilities, it remains clear that they have yet to accept the practice of candidates relying on artificial intelligence during the interview process itself. Consequently, corporations such as Google have begun considering a return to traditional, face-to-face interview formats.

Despite differing views among tech companies and individuals like Chungin “Roy” Lee regarding the ethical application of artificial intelligence in interviews, the prevailing market trend undeniably leans towards greater integration of AI technologies. Moving forward, accurately assessing whether candidates have genuinely completed tests through personal capability or have entirely depended on AI-generated solutions is likely to become a crucial consideration in recruitment processes.