Columbia Student Suspended For Creating AI Cheating Tool Secures Rs 45 Crore Funding – News18

Last Updated:April 25, 2025, 16:27 is

Chungin Lee’s AI tool helped users cheat in interviews by listening to audio, viewing the interviewer’s screen and suggesting responses

In a dramatic turn of events, a Columbia University student has been suspended for creating an AI tool designed to cheat in interviews with top companies like Amazon, Meta, and TikTok.

The 21-year-old student, Chungin Lee, developed an application named “Interview Coder” that assists software engineers during technical interviews by covertly providing them with answers.

The college administration discovered Lee’s actions and subsequently suspended him.

However, in an unexpected twist, his AI tool gained significant attention and funding. Lee received Rs 45 crore to further develop his startup. Despite his suspension, Lee’s innovation, later rebranded as “Cluely,” has gained a following for its controversial approach to redefining “cheating.”

The AI application, Interview Coder, became viral on social media for its ability to help users cheat without detection by listening to audio and viewing the screen of the interviewer, then suggesting suitable responses.

Companies like Meta and Amazon complained about the app, leading to Lee’s suspension. Nevertheless, Lee persevered and continued to garner support, eventually securing pre-seed funding of $5.3 million.

The San Francisco-based venture has since attracted around 70,000 users, exceeding initial expectations. Lee, backed by Abstract Ventures and Susa Ventures, argues that in the AI era, the concept of “cheating” needs to be re-evaluated, advocating for the integration of AI in various aspects of life.

Lee’s journey reflects his belief in dreaming big and pushing forward despite setbacks, culminating in the creation of Cluely, an evolution of his original project, Interview Coder, and his most ambitious endeavour to date.