Anti-Cheating Software Targets AI Cheating App Cluely

Startups Develop Tools to Detect AI Cheating App Cluely

The AI cheating app Cluely, recently viral for its claims of undetectable cheating, is now facing countermeasures from several startups. These companies are developing software designed to detect Cluely's use during exams, interviews, and other assessments.

Anti-Cheating Software Emerges

Validia, a San Francisco-based startup, launched "Truely," a free product that alerts users when Cluely is detected. Similarly, Rhode Island-based Proctaroo claims its platform can identify Cluely users by monitoring running applications and background processes.

Proctaroo CEO Adrian Aamodt criticized Cluely's business model as unethical, stating, "When a Proctaroo session is active, we can see running applications and 'hidden' background processes — Cluely is no different."

Cluely Considers Hardware Solutions

Cluely CEO Chungin "Roy" Lee dismissed these anti-cheating tools, comparing them to unsuccessful anti-cheat efforts in the video game industry. Lee suggested Cluely may develop hardware, such as smart glasses or even brain chips, to bypass anti-cheating software altogether.

Whether it's smart glasses, a transparent glass screen overlay, a recording necklace, or even a brain chip, we're not sure.

Lee believes this transition to hardware is "quite trivial technologically," despite past failures of AI hardware like Humane's AI Pin.

Cluely Shifts Marketing Focus

Facing scrutiny, Cluely has removed references to cheating on exams and job interviews from its website and marketing materials. The company now focuses on "cheating" in sales calls and meetings, claiming to "redefine" its messaging for larger markets.

Lee explained, "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."

This evolving situation raises ethical questions about the use of AI in various settings and the ongoing battle between developers of cheating tools and those seeking to maintain academic and professional integrity.