IIT graduate gets caught using AI to write cover letter, here's what happened

The writing aid provided by artificial intelligence (AI) has undeniably transformed many facets of our lives, but has got limitations as well. No wonder that technology can generate results rapidly, but sending them without carefully reviewing the information can have humiliating results. 

Sadly, this is what occurred to the person who used AI to generate his cover letter and then forwarded it without any changes. As expected, a screenshot of his r cover letter went viral online on social media and prompted a storm of comments from online users. 

What exactly happened with the IIT graduate? 

An IIT alumnus, known only by his first name, Akhil, grabbed eyeballs earlier this week after a Twitter user revealed a screenshot of a cover letter he had submitted to potential employers.

Hi,

IIT graduate Akhil

Your code didn’t work.

Sincerely,

[companyName,fallback=] pic.twitter.com/18vc0CnQkK

— Leo (@4eo) July 13, 2023

In the letter, Akhil presented his professional qualifications and experience and showcased his candidature to be ideal for the job. However, the situation turned intense after the said cover letter ran into trouble and could not achieve the desired goal. 

The tweet read, “Hi, IIT graduate Akhil, Your code didn't work. Sincerely, [companyName,fallback=]." The [companyName,fallback=] field was meant to be left empty by the AI assistant so that the user could input their own company name, as AI chatbots lack personal information. Regrettably, the term was left visible in the cover letter.

The IIT graduate emphasised his technological abilities and achievements in the letter, including the creation of microservices that can process over 25,000 requests per minute.
The tweet received a variety of responses, with some readers finding it humorous and others expressing sympathy for the applicant, who was likely attempting to make the difficult chore of obtaining employment a little easier.

Reactions of Twitter users 

The tweet was shared on 13 July and has so far received more than 8.4 lakh likes, with the numbers rapidly rising. 

"Well if recruiters use this type of automation, candidates can do the same. There's nothing wrong with it except for the fact that the code didn't work," one user said.

Another user stated, "He didn't fail. You rejected him, and that's what he wanted. 

Few understand…" Meanwhile, someone pointed out that highlighting the IIT graduation tag in the cover letter seemed unnecessary: "If he is already a Software Engineer at a Unicorn... and appears skilled based on his achievements, I can't justify adding and highlighting 'IIT Graduate' there. How does it impact his next job?"

Another user expressed a mixture of amusement and sadness, saying, "This is funny and sad. Let's take a minute to appreciate that Akhil had to resort to this."