This AI Tool Lets Users Secretly Cheat During Job Interviews and Exams — Innovative or Unethical?

What If You Could Get Real-Time Assistance During Job Interviews?

Imagine being in the middle of a job interview or even a high-stakes exam, and suddenly, you receive instant suggestions—answers or strategies—tailored to help you succeed.

What if this technology was invisible to everyone else, leaving no trace of any external help?

This is the premise behind Cluely, an AI startup that has stirred significant controversy while securing $5.3 million in seed funding.

Cluely’s $5.3 Million Investment Despite Backlash

Cluely, developed by Chungin “Roy” Lee and Neel Shanmuggan, promises to do just that.

The app provides real-time, concealed assistance during tasks such as job interviews, coding challenges, sales calls, and even exams.

Despite raising eyebrows and triggering backlash for enabling cheating, Cluely has raised substantial backing from investors, with Abstract Ventures and Susa Ventures leading the funding.

The duo behind Cluely both have backgrounds that tie back to Columbia University.

Neel Shanmuggan and Chungin “Roy” Lee

Lee had previously created Interview Coder, a tool designed to help candidates during technical coding interviews.

He and Shanmuggan expanded this concept, launching Cluely as a tool designed for even broader use, marketing it as a “cheating tool for literally everything.”

AI or Deception? Cluely’s Marketing Strategy Sparks Controversy

Cluely’s concept raises ethical concerns.

While it operates with the goal of improving communication and helping users solve problems more efficiently, critics argue that it promotes dishonesty, particularly in professional and academic settings.

The app operates by analysing both the audio of conversations and the on-screen activity, providing responses that are hidden from view—making it difficult for interviewers or examiners to detect.

Despite the criticism, Lee maintains that the tool isn’t about cheating in the traditional sense.

In an attempt to reframe its purpose, he likens Cluely to tools like spellcheck or calculators—technologies that were once controversial but have since been widely accepted.

Lee’s argument revolves around the idea that AI, in this instance, should be embraced as an aid for collaboration, not as a shortcut for dishonesty.

Cluely’s Struggles With Reliability in Real-World Use

Although Cluely is marketed as a seamless tool for enhancing interview performance or acing exams, early reports from users highlight some key issues.

According to Business Insider, there were delays of up to ten seconds and even instances of “hallucinations,” where the AI generated fabricated responses.

One of the most concerning critiques was its reliance on generic answers that may fail to impress in high-pressure professional environments.

Despite these setbacks, Lee has assured users on LinkedIn that Cluely is undergoing rapid improvements, with updates being pushed "every other hour" to improve its performance.

From LeetCode to $3 Million in Annual Revenue

Cluely's origins trace back to Lee’s earlier creation, Interview Coder, which was specifically designed to assist candidates in coding interviews, notably on platforms like LeetCode.

Lee claimed he used the tool to land internships at top tech firms including Amazon, Meta, and TikTok.

Interestingly, he’s transparent about his intentions with Interview Coder—he wasn’t just looking to land an internship but also to expose flaws in the technical interview process used by major companies.

This ethos has carried over to Cluely, where Lee and Shanmuggan want to shift the conversation around AI and its use in professional settings.

Despite the negative press surrounding its marketing as a “cheating tool,” Cluely has generated $3 million in annual revenue, a testament to the demand for such tools.

The startup’s appeal lies in its promise of enhancing performance in real-time, often at a level that would be nearly impossible to replicate with human assistance alone.

Can We Really Trust AI Tools Like Cluely?

As AI technology becomes increasingly embedded in our lives, it’s hard to ignore the ethical questions raised by Cluely’s success.

While the app undoubtedly provides advantages to its users, it also normalises a form of deception in professional and academic spheres.

With critics accusing Cluely of encouraging dishonesty, the conversation around its use continues to evolve.

Lee’s recent suspension from Columbia University for sharing content from a disciplinary hearing in March only adds fuel to the fire, further complicating the startup’s reputation.

Cluely may have found its niche in an increasingly AI-driven world, but the broader implications of its use are far from clear.

Will you give it a try?