New Delhi, Aug. 5 -- A San Francisco-based artificial intelligence startup backed by Y Combinator has found itself at the centre of controversy after its founder reportedly linked job interviews to tattoos at a company event. What was meant to be a networking exercise quickly turned into a controversy over ethics, hiring pressure and the blurred line between fun and professional exploitation.

The startup, LemonLime, co-founded by Jordan Zietz, drew criticism after reports said that attendees at one of its events were offered guaranteed interviews if they agreed to get tattooed on the spot. According to Fortune, the event included a live tattoo artist, and seven people reportedly got tattoos during the gathering.

Zietz had described the ...