A Columbia University student, Roy Lee, developed an Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool to assist candidates in clearing technical coding interviews, and used it himself to secure internship offers at companies like Amazon, Meta, and TikTok.
However, as reported by Hindustan Times, his method sparked controversy, leading to some of these offers being revoked. Lee’s AI tool, Interview Coder, functions as an undetectable application designed to assist with LeetCode-style coding problems, a common component of tech hiring processes.
In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), he openly admitted to using the tool during his interviews, stating, "Yes, I actually used Interview Coder to get an Amazon offer. Yes, I used to also run an account that taught people how to solve Leetcode questions".
He shared a screenshot from his LinkedIn profile listing summer internships at Meta, TikTok, Amazon, and Capital One, adding that he would choose one if the others were rescinded. Lee also uploaded a YouTube video where he allegedly used Interview Coder during a live coding assessment for Amazon.
Soon after, an email — claimed to be from Amazon — surfaced online, purportedly sent to Columbia University, condemning Lee’s actions. The email read: “Roy... showed himself using an invisible cheating tool to gain an unfair and unapproved advantage during the interview process.” The message also alleged that Lee was selling the tool to other students.
In response, Lee dismissed Amazon’s concerns, asserting that he had already rejected their offer and had no interest in working there. He stated that his goal was to challenge the widespread use of LeetCode-based interviews, remarking, “This tool took me a week to build, and a better engineer could’ve built it in half a day.”
As the news spread, Hindustan Times reports that another email — allegedly from Meta — surfaced, rescinding his internship offer. Earlier today, Lee appeared unfazed by the backlash, acknowledging the situation’s now-global virality with a joke in another post on X that read, “mom im famous in India.”
