Cluely: Columbia Student Suspended for AI Cheating Tool Raises $5.3M for Startup That Helps Users ‘Cheat on Everything’

Chungin “Roy” Lee, a 21-year-old former Columbia University student, is making headlines after securing $5.3 million in pre-seed funding for his controversial AI startup, Cluely. The startup, co-founded with Neel Shanmugam, aims to redefine how we think about cheating using artificial intelligence.

What’s turning heads? The bold claim that Cluely is building an “AI tool to cheat on everything” — from job interviews and exams to sales calls and meetings.

The Beginning: Interview Coder and Columbia University Suspension

Lee’s journey began with a controversial tool called Interview Coder, an invisible, browser-based AI assistant designed to help software engineers cheat in technical interviews — particularly those featuring LeetCode-style problems commonly used by major tech companies like Amazon, Meta, and TikTok. The tool quickly went viral on social media, with many users posting positive reviews praising its ability to provide real-time AI help during live interviews without being detected. 

However, the growing attention also attracted backlash. Soon after, Columbia University suspended Lee, and he reportedly faced criticism from companies like Meta and Amazon for developing what they saw as an unethical platform. Columbia has not issued an official statement, citing student privacy policies.

Cluely: AI Tool That “Sees, Hears, and Helps” in Real Time

Rather than backing down, Lee doubled down. He and Shanmugam launched Cluely, a San Francisco-based AI startup that builds on Interview Coder’s foundation.

“A completely undetectable AI that sees your screen, hears your audio, and gives you real-time assistance in any situation,” says Lee.

Whether you’re in an exam, job interview, sales pitch, or assignment, Cluely operates via a hidden browser window — remaining invisible while offering context-aware AI-generated assistance.

Cluely Secures $5.3M in Pre-Seed Funding

Despite its controversial nature, Cluely has attracted substantial investor interest. On April 20, Lee announced on LinkedIn that the startup had raised $5.3 million from major investors, including Abstract Ventures and Susa Ventures.

“They called calculators cheating. They called Google cheating. The world will say the same about AI,” said the startup in a bold announcement. “We’re not stopping.”

This statement reflects the startup’s intent to challenge societal norms around AI and productivity, arguing that technological disruption is often mischaracterized as cheating in its early stages.

Ethical Concerns: Is Cluely Just Another AI Cheating Tool?

Cluely’s mission has triggered widespread debate in the tech and education communities. While supporters argue that it’s a natural evolution of human-AI collaboration, critics see it as a tool that encourages academic dishonesty and unethical behavior in professional settings.

“To be honest, I don’t think this is cheating,” Lee said. “Every single time technology has made people smarter, the world panics. Then it adapts. Then it forgets. And suddenly, it’s normal.”

This philosophical take reframes the discussion: Is AI assistance a violation of ethics, or a glimpse into the future of augmented intelligence?

AI in Interviews, Exams, and Beyond: A Technological Inflection Point

Lee argues that AI will revolutionize every aspect of life — from education and employment to how we communicate. Cluely positions itself as a bridge to this AI-driven future, promoting a world where humans don’t compete with artificial intelligence but rather collaborate and grow alongside it. 

Unlike tools such as Grammarly, ChatGPT, or Google Assistant, which offer visible support, Cluely AI features go a step further by providing invisible, real-time, and contextual assistance during high-stakes scenarios like exams, job interviews, and sales calls. While innovative, this approach raises critical concerns about transparency, accountability, and ethical integrity in both academic and professional settings.

The Bigger Picture: Redefining “Cheating” in the AI Age

As the line between assistance and dishonesty blurs, startups like Cluely are forcing institutions, employers, and educators to reconsider outdated systems.

• Is AI assistance in exams truly cheating?
  
• Should companies adapt their interview processes to detect AI usage?
  
• What ethical frameworks should govern the rise of invisible AI tools?
  

These are the questions Cluely is surfacing — whether we’re ready or not.

How Cluely Works: A Real-Time AI Assistant That Thinks Ahead

Cluely isn’t just another chatbot—it’s an advanced AI assistant designed to give users a competitive edge in real-world scenarios like job interviews, sales calls, and business meetings. According to CEO Lee, Cluely is all about delivering instant, intelligent insights when you need them most—even before you realize you do.

“We’re Building Jarvis for Your Desktop”

Lee likens Cluely to J.A.R.V.I.S., the AI assistant from Iron Man. “We’re building Jarvis, but he lives in your computer,” he told KTVU. Unlike traditional AI tools that wait for input, Cluely observes, listens, and anticipates what information the user needs. With a simple keyboard command—Cmd + Enter—Cluely activates and instantly provides relevant insights.

Smarter Than a Chatbot

Traditional chatbots require users to manually input questions. Cluely takes a different approach. It sees what’s on your screen, listens through the device’s microphone, and proactively gathers contextual information to deliver real-time answers—all without interrupting your workflow.

In fact, it runs invisibly in the background, even during screen shares, feeding you the information you need without alerting others.

Cluely’s Mission: Think Smarter, Together

At its core, Cluely is designed to enhance human thinking, not replace it. “We built Cluely so you never have to think alone again,” the company states in its manifesto. It acts as an ever-present assistant that learns from your activity and supports you like a second brain.

Is Cluely a Cheating Tool?

Lee acknowledges the controversy surrounding Cluely’s capabilities but clarifies that the tool is more assistant than cheat. “It’s much more akin to a desktop assistant than an actual ‘cheat at everything’ tool,” he said. “But just the phrasing makes it controversial—and that gets people talking.”

📝 Final Thoughts

Love it or hate it, Cluely represents a bold and controversial vision for the future of AI-human interaction. From his suspension at Columbia University to raising $5.3 million in startup funding, Chungin “Roy” Lee’s journey signals a clear message: AI isn’t just coming — it’s already challenging the status quo. And with easy access through a seamless Cluely AI login, users are stepping into a new era where real-time, invisible AI assistance is redefining how we approach interviews, exams, and professional tasks — whether the world is ready for it or not.