Cheating has always been part of the game when it comes to online applications and whatnot. A little lie on your resume to sound like the absolute perfect fit for a job, using AI to answer tough interview questions, or even pulling a few strings during online courses or timed tests—we’ve seen it all. People have always found creative (and questionable) ways to tilt the odds in their favor. But while these moves were mostly individual hacks or grey-area tricks, there’s never really been a tool designed to help people cheat. That is, until Cluely landed on the scene.
What Cluely Is!
Cluely isn’t just another productivity app or AI chatbot. It’s a fully-fledged, undetectable, real-time AI assistant created to give users a leg-up during live online interactions—especially ones where stakes are high, like job interviews, sales calls, and performance reviews. It quietly monitors your screen, listens in on the conversation, and feeds you answers or suggestions as you speak, without the other party knowing a thing.
Like your own private little devil on your left shoulder whispering the perfect response in your ear mid-meeting.
From Campus Suspension to Startup Sensation
Cluely’s origin story is as wild as the tool itself. The app was developed by Chungin "Roy" Lee, a former student at Columbia University who initially built an early version of the tool called Interview Coder. It was intended to help users navigate tricky job interviews by providing real-time coding prompts and talking points. But the university didn’t quite share his enthusiasm—instead, they suspended him for academic dishonesty.
Most people might’ve laid low after that, well, not Lee. He doubled down, rebranded the tool as Cluely, and raised a whopping $5.3 million in seed funding from major venture capitalists. The pitch? Cluely is the future of AI-enhanced communication. Love it or hate it, it’s hard to argue with that kind of backing.
Ethics vs. Efficiency: Where Do We Draw the Line?
This is where things get murky. Is Cluely a brilliant productivity booster, or a cheat engine disguised as an assistant? If you steal to X(formerly Twitter) and Reddit, many will comment that it simply levels the playing field. Since some people already have access to elite coaching or insider tips, why shouldn’t everyone get a smart assistant to help them think on their feet?
But critics see it differently. To them, Cluely encourages dishonesty and erodes trust, especially in environments where authenticity and real-time thinking matter, like interviews, exams, or client calls. After all, if you’re getting spoon-fed answers, is it really you performing, or should I just hire the tool itself?
The public reaction itself has been split down the middle. Some early users praise Cluely as a game-changer for high-pressure scenarios. Others found it glitchy, slow to respond, or too generic in its suggestions. One reviewer even joked that Cluely made them worse at talking because they kept waiting for its delayed prompts.
Still, the idea has captivated people. Whether you’re a job seeker trying to sound confident, a sales rep tackling tricky objections, or just someone who freezes up in meetings, the appeal of an AI safety net is real.
On the bigger scale of things, Cluely raises the same big questions we’re asking about AI across the board: how much help is too much? If a tool makes you better, faster, and more confident, does it matter how you got there? Or are we walking into a time where performance is less about skill and more about the tech you can afford?
At the end of the day, Cluely is...just another AI tool trying at its users' thoughts. It reflects both our hunger to succeed and our willingness to blur the rules to get there. Whether you see it as a cheat code or a digital coach, we can all agree that the idea piques interest.
Cluely is out. cheat on everything. pic.twitter.com/EsRXQaCfUI
— Roy (@im_roy_lee) April 20, 2025
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