Cluely: Real-Time AI Meeting Assistant Overlay

Cluely: Real-Time Invisible AI Assistant

Cluely is a desktop app that monitors your screen content and audio during virtual meetings, then surfaces real-time AI-generated answers and notes through an overlay that's designed to be invisible during screen-sharing. Founder Roy Lee launched it under the deliberately-provocative tagline "cheat on everything" — initially marketed as an interview-prep tool, expanded to meetings, sales calls, and more.

The product went viral in 2025 partly on the controversy (proctoring services like Honorlock published anti-Cluely guides) and partly on the genuine novelty of the always-on overlay UX. It's now one of the most-discussed consumer AI products of the year.

Key Features

Real-time AI listens to meeting audio and reads on-screen content
Instant suggestions, answers, and next steps via overlay
Invisible during screen-sharing (designed for the use case)
Works on Mac and Windows desktop
Live AI meeting notes captured automatically

Ideal Use Case

Sales professionals on customer calls who want real-time research surfacing, knowledge workers in meetings who'd benefit from on-the-fly facts, and (controversially) interview candidates who want AI assistance during technical screens.

Why Use Cluely

The always-on overlay UX is genuinely novel — most AI meeting tools surface information after the call ends. Cluely's bet is real-time matters more, and the viral adoption suggests the bet is right.

FAQ

Q: Is using Cluely in interviews ethical? A: Depends on the context — Cluely's marketing leans into the controversy. For meetings/sales calls, the ethics are clearer (you're using AI to help yourself, not deceive others).

Q: Can interviewers detect Cluely? A: Designed to be invisible during screen-sharing. Proctoring services have published anti-Cluely guides; arms race is active.

Q: Does Cluely work for non-interview meetings? A: Yes — the broader positioning is meeting/sales/research assistance.

tl;dr

Real-time invisible AI overlay for meetings and interviews. Viral controversial 2025 launch. Live AI assistant that listens and surfaces answers.

Looking for more options? Browse the Productivity directory or read our best AI productivity tools listicle. Cluely has a Wikipedia entry and is tracked on Crunchbase.