AI-Powered Interview Tool Leads to Student Suspension

03/27/2025 Education

Roy Lee, a Columbia University student, faces suspension after developing an AI program that helped him excel in technical interviews for major tech companies like Meta, Amazon, and TikTok. Lee shared his story on LinkedIn, stating he was "kicked out of Columbia for taking a stand against Leetcode interviews."

Lee, a computer science student aiming to graduate in 2026, sought a job in a FAANG company. However, he found the "Leetcode" technical interview process, with its lengthy and often irrelevant coding tests, extremely challenging. He described the preparation as overwhelming.

The AI Solution

To overcome this hurdle, Lee created a tool that uses AI to solve coding problems presented during technical interviews. The software takes screenshots and uses AI to generate solutions. According to Lee, the tool worked, leading to multiple job offers.

He then commercialized his software, "Interview Coder," offering subscriptions and posting a YouTube video demonstrating its use in an Amazon interview.

The Fallout

The situation escalated when someone, allegedly an Amazon employee, reported Lee to Columbia University after seeing his YouTube video. Lee shared the university's letter, with the sender's name redacted, on social media. Columbia declined to comment, citing privacy regulations.

Lee's public sharing of the letter, which "went super viral on X," may have provided him with some protection, according to his LinkedIn post. However, a disciplinary hearing was scheduled.

According to Lee, at the hearing, Columbia pressured him into admitting that his tool could be used for cheating, placed him on academic probation, and scheduled another hearing for leaking documents. Subsequently, he was suspended from the university, effective immediately, with eligibility for return after May 20, 2026.

Despite the suspension, Lee continues to sell subscriptions to Interview Coder. He acknowledged the stress caused by the situation but remains positive, viewing it as an "amazing story in hindsight."