Hello followers! Today, we’re diving into the wild world of AI startups and their controversial tactics. Buckle up!

Cluely, an AI firm that secretly uses a hidden browser window to analyze chats online, became famous for claiming its feature of being ‘undetectable’ lets users cheat on everything. The company’s co-founder, Roy Lee, was even suspended from Columbia University after boasting about using Cluely, then called Interview Coder, to cheat on a coding test when applying to Amazon.

Recently, another student from Columbia, Patrick Shen, launched Truely, an anti-cheat tool designed to spot when Cluely is being used in online meetings. Lee, however, was unfazed, stating that being detected isn’t the main point, and that invisibility is just an optional feature that most companies disable for legal reasons.

Despite Shen’s efforts, Cluely’s silence on detection didn’t slow down its ambitions. Lee shared that they might start encouraging users to be more transparent about their usage, signaling a shift in their approach. Interestingly, after clinching a $15 million funding round from Andreessen Horowitz, Cluely changed its marketing from ‘cheat on everything’ to a more playful ‘Everything You Need. Before You Ask. … This feels like cheating.’

The company has been criticized for its provocative marketing, yet Lee envisions Cluely as a future rival to ChatGPT, aiming to be the go-to AI—knowing what’s on your screen and hearing your audio, kind of an all-seeing AI assistant. So, while the world debates about cheating or safety, Cluely is aiming high, blending controversy with innovation.