Cluely, an AI startup helping users cheat during exams, interviews, and even sales calls, has raised $5.3 million in seed funding despite sparking backlash for normalizing deception. Founded by two former Columbia University students, Chungin “Roy” Lee and Neel Shanmuggan, the app gained significant attention from users since its creation.
While critics argue that the tool undermines trust in professional and academic settings, Lee and Shanmuggan compare it to widely accepted aids like the calculator. Investors have nonetheless backed the controversial platform, which operates undetected during interviews and exams.
Cluely’s role in cheating during job interviews and more
Cluely is an AI tool designed to give job candidates an advantage during interviews through real-time, hidden suggestions based on the conversation. It analyzes both audio and on-screen activity, almost instantly generating AI-powered responses while remaining invisible to interviewers, even during screen sharing.
Before creating Cluely, Lee developed Interview Coder, a generative AI tool that covertly assisted during coding interviews by providing instant code solutions and explanations. Lee used the tool himself to secure job offers from top tech companies, including Amazon and Meta.
Marketed as a way to “cheat on everything,” Cluely supports various interactions, including meetings and sales calls. Its creators emphasize the tool’s potential to improve communication skills and help users solve problems faster, but critics point to AI ethics issues, saying that Cluely promotes dishonesty and weakens integrity.
Interestingly, although the app has been openly branded as a cheating tool, Lee contracted this framing. He insists that it aims to advance collaboration between humans and artificial intelligence, likening Cluely to once-controversial technologies including spellcheck.
Can Cluely be ‘trusted’ for cheating?
Cluely’s reliability for real-time cheating appears questionable after early user reports. Business insider found response delays of five to 10 seconds and hallucinations, including inventing skills. The tool also produced generic answers, casting doubt on its dependability during professional interviews.
Lee addressed these issues with Cluely directly on LinkedIn, confirming recent upgrades. The Cluely cofounder stated they are “shipping massive improvements every other hour” to enhance performance.
AI’s integrity crisis
Cluely’s ability to raise $5.3 million in a seed funding after it explicitly markets itself as a tool for cheating reveals an alarming shift where financial backing eclipses ethical concerns. The enthusiastic support for a product that normalizes dishonesty highlights how integrity could be sidelined in the rush to capitalize on disruptive AI.