Cluely
Real-time desktop AI assistant for meetings, marketed as undetectable
Last reviewed 2026-06-19
Cluely is a desktop AI assistant that runs in the background during virtual meetings, sales calls, support sessions, and interviews. It listens to live audio and on-screen context, then surfaces transcripts, suggested answers, notes, and next steps in a moveable overlay that the company markets as invisible to screen-shares and recordings. It does not join as a visible participant. Cluely originated from "Interview Coder," a tool its founders built at Columbia to discreetly solve coding-interview questions, before rebranding into a general live assistant launched in April 2025 under the tagline "Cheat on Everything." It targets professionals wanting in-the-moment conversational support: salespeople, meeting notetakers, and job seekers. The product and its founder have been the subject of significant controversy, documented neutrally below.
What it can do
Transcribe live conversations
AssistantProduces a running transcript of meeting audio in real time across multiple languages.
sourceSuggest in-the-moment answers
CopilotGenerates suggested responses and talking points on a keyboard shortcut for the user to read and use.
sourceGenerate notes, recaps, and follow-ups
AssistantCreates shareable meeting summaries and next steps after a session.
sourceRun undetectably on screen
AssistantOperates as a local overlay marketed as invisible to screen-shares and recordings.
source
Strengths
- +Fast, low-latency transcription and in-call suggestions across major meeting platforms
- +Useful legitimate deliverables: notes, recaps, and post-call coaching
- +Low barrier to try plus strong brand awareness
Limitations
- −Core "undetectable" and "cheat" positioning creates ethical, academic-integrity, and employment risk
- −The "undetectable" claim is contested; interviewers can spot behavioral tells
- −Credibility questions: the CEO walked back a previously circulated ARR figure as inaccurate, and the brand leans on rage-bait virality
Overview
Cluely is a desktop AI assistant that runs in the background during virtual meetings, listening to live audio and on-screen context to surface transcripts, suggested answers, and notes in an overlay it markets as undetectable. It launched in April 2025 and grew out of the founders' "Interview Coder" tool.
What it does
Cluely produces a real-time transcript, suggests in-the-moment answers and talking points on a shortcut, and generates notes, recaps, and follow-ups. Higher tiers add post-call analytics and coaching. Everything is human-in-the-loop; it does not take actions on the user's behalf.
Integrations & setup
It operates over major meeting platforms (Zoom, Teams, Meet, Webex) as a local overlay rather than through deep API integrations. The site references "the newest language models" without naming a provider; some early coverage described it as powered by OpenAI, unconfirmed on the current site.
Pricing
Freemium: a free tier, a Pro plan reported at $20/mo, a higher "Pro + Undetectability" tier, and custom Enterprise with SSO and analytics. Dollar figures are from secondary breakdowns.
Best for / not for
Used legitimately, it suits salespeople and meeting-heavy professionals who want live suggestions and clean recaps. It is not appropriate where its undetectability features would violate interview, exam, or workplace policies.
Controversy
Co-founder Chungin "Roy" Lee built "Interview Coder" at Columbia to discreetly solve coding-interview questions and was reportedly disciplined by the university in connection with the episode. Cluely then launched under a "Cheat on Everything" tagline with a deliberately provocative viral video. Critics say it normalizes dishonesty; defenders say it exposes outdated hiring and testing. After a 2025 a16z round, Lee acknowledged a previously circulated ARR figure was inaccurate. These are reported facts and allegations, attributed to their sources.
Alternatives
Fireflies and Superhuman offer meeting notes and productivity without the undetectability positioning.
What people are saying
We aggregate real LinkedIn discussion into sentiment for the agents people search most. Cluely isn't tracked yet, want it added? Request tracking.
FAQ
Is Cluely an autonomous agent?+
No. It transcribes conversations and suggests responses for the user to read and act on, so it operates at the assistant-to-copilot level with a human always in the loop.
Why is Cluely controversial?+
It grew out of a tool built to discreetly pass coding interviews, launched under a "Cheat on Everything" tagline, and markets an "undetectable" mode. Critics argue it normalizes dishonesty in interviews and exams; the founder, Roy Lee, was reportedly disciplined at Columbia in connection with the predecessor tool.
Sources
- Cluely (official site) · accessed 2026-06-19
- Investing in Cluely (Andreessen Horowitz) · accessed 2026-06-19
- Cluely, a startup that helps cheat on everything, raises $15M from a16z (TechCrunch) · accessed 2026-06-19
- Columbia student suspended over interview cheating tool raises $5.3M (TechCrunch) · accessed 2026-06-19
Last reviewed 2026-06-19