AI cheating startup Cluely went viral last week with bold claims that its hidden in-browser window is undetectable and can be used to cheat on everything from job interviews to exams.But some startups are claiming they can catch Cluelys users.
And Cluely says its ready to develop hardware products like smart glasses, or even brain chips, that bypass anti-cheating software altogether.Validia, a San Francisco-based startup, launched a free product called Truely last week in direct response to Cluely.
The software triggers an alarm if it detects someone using Cluely, Validia says.Rhode Island-based startup Proctaroo also claims its platform can detect Cluely users.When a Proctaroo session is active, we can see running applications and hidden background processes Cluely is no different, CEO Adrian Aamodt told A Technology NewsRoom, criticizing Cluelys business model as unethical.Cluelys co-founder and CEO, Chungin Roy Lee, called the anti-cheating tools promoted by these startups pointless, comparing them to years of failed cheating crackdowns in the video game industry.Whats more, Lee says Cluely may go into hardware anyway, rendering anti-cheating software obsolete.Whether its smart glasses, a transparent glass screen overlay, a recording necklace, or even a brain chip, were not sure, he said.Lee even says that expanding to hardware is quite trivial technologically, despite lots of high-profile AI hardware failures like Humanes AI Pin.Scrutiny of Cluelys business model does appear to have had some impact, though.
Cluely has scrubbed references to cheating on exams and job interviews on its website and manifesto, a major original selling point.
Now Cluely only touts cheating on things like sales calls and meetings.Lee told A Technology NewsRoom that Cluely is redefining its messaging to target the largest and most impactful markets.Ultimately, we see a future where everyone uses AI to its utmost potential, and that means planting in large, specific markets, and expanding out from there, he said.