A 21-year-old entrepreneur's Cluely startup has raised $5.3 million in seed funding from Abstract Ventures and Susa Ventures. Through this project, Lee offers users the opportunity to enhance their performance in various areas, such as exams, job interviews, and sales calls, with the support of artificial intelligence.
The idea for Cluely was formed after Lee was temporarily suspended from Columbia University. In a viral post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), he and his co-founder revealed that they had developed a tool called “Interview Coder.” This tool was used during job interviews for software engineers, helping users secretly answer questions. This technology is now one of the main products of the Cluely startup.
The Cluely tool works by opening a hidden browser window that only the user can see. Through this window, the artificial intelligence provides the necessary answers. The examiner or interviewer, however, remains unaware of this assistance.
The Cluely team compares their tool to previously controversial but later accepted technologies, such as calculators and spellcheckers. According to them, this is not simply "cheating," but rather a technological advancement. They have even published an official manifesto on this subject.
Cluely’s promotional video has sparked widespread discussion on social media. In the video, Roy Lee goes on a date at a restaurant and attempts to lie about his age and knowledge of art with the help of the AI tool. However, even with AI’s assistance, he fails. Some viewers found the video an intriguing and bold move, while others criticized it, comparing it to the dystopian technologies from the TV series “Black Mirror.”
Cluely is currently a tech startup with an annual recurring revenue (ARR) exceeding $3 million. Despite this success, ethical questions surrounding the project remain. The use of artificial intelligence in this manner—where people use technology to deceive—raises significant concerns in many fields, including education and hiring processes.
Roy Lee’s success, along with the unease it generates, demonstrates that modern technologies have both beneficial and dangerous sides. Is this artificial intelligence tool a technological advancement for the future, or a breach of social ethics? The answer to this question remains unknown.
