Introduction to the Controversy

Columbia University student Roy Lee claims he has been suspended from the institution after developing an AI program designed to assist him in passing the rigorous technical interviews for top tech companies such as Meta, Facebook, Amazon, and TikTok. In a post on LinkedIn dated March 26, Lee expressed his stance against the Leetcode interview process, stating, "I just got kicked out of Columbia for taking a stand against Leetcode interviews."

Background on Roy Lee

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to speak with Lee, who at the time was a sophomore at Columbia University with plans to graduate in 2026. As a talented computer science student, Lee was poised to embark on a career in the tech industry, with ambitions to land a job at a prestigious FAANG company (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google). However, he first needed to overcome the hurdle of the technical interview, a challenging process that involves a lengthy and often tedious coding test, typically observed by a company employee. The problems presented during these interviews often bear little resemblance to the real-world challenges faced by programmers in their actual jobs.

The AI Solution

According to Lee, the preparation process for these technical interviews was incredibly demanding, to the point of being debilitating. In response, he created a tool that captures screenshots of his screen during a technical test and utilizes an AI system to solve the presented problems. Lee reported that this tool, dubbed Interview Coder, was highly effective, enabling him to receive job offers from multiple tech companies. He subsequently began offering subscriptions to his software for $60 a month and posted a video on YouTube demonstrating its use in passing Amazon’s technical test.

The Consequences

However, Lee’s actions did not go unnoticed. An Amazon employee, who wished to remain anonymous, contacted Columbia University after viewing Lee’s YouTube video, expressing discontent. Although Amazon declined to comment on the specifics of Lee’s situation, and Columbia cited the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act as a reason for not commenting, the repercussions for Lee were significant. He shared a redacted copy of the letter from the complainant, as well as documentation from his disciplinary hearing, on social media platforms.

The Disciplinary Hearing and Its Aftermath

Lee mentioned that the act of leaking the documents and his story going viral provided him with a degree of protection. During our conversation earlier this month, he seemed unconcerned about his upcoming disciplinary hearing, mentioning plans to leave the country and subsequently the university. According to his LinkedIn post, he did appear at the hearing, where he was forced into acknowledging that his tool could potentially facilitate cheating in a Columbia computer science class, a claim he disputes. Initially, he was placed on academic probation, with another hearing scheduled for leaking the documents. Nevertheless, the outcome was more severe than anticipated; a week and a half later, he was informed that he had been suspended from Columbia University, effective immediately, with the possibility of returning after May 20, 2026.

The Current Situation

The documents Lee shared, including notes from his disciplinary hearing, outlined the reasons for his suspension, citing the publication of confidential documents from his disciplinary record on social media. Despite the challenges he has faced, Lee remains resolute, continuing to sell subscriptions to his software. Each confrontation with Columbia University appears to elevate his profile, drawing more attention to his story and the controversy surrounding the use of AI in technical interviews. In reflection, Lee noted that while the experience has been mentally taxing, he is glad to have taken a stand, viewing the outcome as an "amazing story in hindsight."