AI Cheating Detection: Startups Launch Products to Counter Cluely

Cluely and the Emerging Anti-Cheating Landscape

The startup Cluely recently gained significant attention following assertions that its concealed in-browser window is virtually impossible to detect. The company suggests its technology can be utilized for dishonest purposes across a wide range of scenarios, including job interviews and academic examinations.

Countermeasures from Competing Startups

However, several other companies are asserting their ability to identify individuals utilizing Cluely’s services. Cluely itself has indicated a willingness to explore hardware solutions, such as smart glasses or even neural implants, designed to circumvent existing anti-cheating software.

Validia, a startup located in San Francisco, introduced a complimentary product named “Truely” last week. This software is specifically designed to alert users if it detects the presence of Cluely, according to Validia.

Proctaroo, a Rhode Island-based company, also claims its platform possesses the capability to identify Cluely users.

Proctaroo's Detection Method

“During an active Proctaroo session, we are able to monitor running applications and any concealed background processes – Cluely is no exception,” stated CEO Adrian Aamodt to TechCrunch. He further criticized Cluely’s business approach as fundamentally “unethical.”

Cluely's Response and Future Plans

Chungin “Roy” Lee, co-founder and CEO of Cluely, dismissed the effectiveness of these anti-cheating tools. He drew parallels to the numerous unsuccessful attempts to prevent cheating within the video game industry.

Furthermore, Lee suggested that Cluely is considering a move into hardware development, potentially rendering current anti-cheating software irrelevant.

“The specific form this hardware might take – whether it be smart glasses, a transparent screen overlay, a recording necklace, or even a brain chip – remains to be determined,” he explained.

Despite recent high-profile failures in the AI hardware sector, such as the Humane AI Pin, Lee maintains that expanding into hardware is “quite trivial technologically.”

Shifting Messaging and Market Focus

The scrutiny surrounding Cluely’s business model appears to have prompted some adjustments. References to cheating on exams and during job interviews have been removed from the company’s website and manifesto, which were previously key selling points.

Currently, Cluely primarily promotes its technology as a tool for gaining an advantage in areas like sales calls and meetings.

Lee conveyed to TechCrunch that Cluely is “redefining” its messaging to concentrate on “the largest and most impactful markets.”

“Our ultimate vision is a future where AI is leveraged to its full potential by everyone, and this necessitates strategic entry into significant markets, followed by subsequent expansion,” he concluded.