Maggie Stamets is a Podcast Producer at TechCrunch. She covered a new upstart that’s brewing all this interest with its incendiary sounding mission. Originally from Portland, Oregon, Stamets is now based in Denver, Colorado. He went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in Journalism with a minor in English from Hofstra University in New York. On April 21st, 2025, that same reporter published an article spilling the techno-racist beans on the most innovative, yet contentious, AI startup on the block—Cluely. The now $5.3 million successfully funded startup just wants to help you cheat on everything.
The piece sheds light on the backgrounds of Cluely, co-founded by Roy Lee and Neel Shanmugam. By shunning the sidewalk, Lee ignited big fireworks on social media platform X. He posted a wonderfully interesting thread that revealed the inspiration behind the development of this incredibly ambitious project. His thread provided a great picture of the startup’s ambitious goals. It provided a clearer view into the product, which has received both praise and criticism from the tech community.
Cluely’s mission raises ethical questions about the implications of using AI to circumvent traditional methods of learning and skill development. Fireside’s founders think their new technology will put users in control. They all offer a variety of solutions engineered to enhance productivity and efficiency. Cheating is the antithesis of educational and professional achievement, just as educational equity is the antithesis of privilege.
In her piece, Stamets unpacks some of the specifics of what Cluely will provide and debates the conversation around its introduction. That $5.3 million investment reflects a deep interest in how cutting-edge AI innovations can help. It reveals the deep schism in public opinion on whether technology is helping or hurting their lives and careers. Backend provider, Cluely, is ramping up in anticipation of going live with its services soon. Stakeholders from both the public and private sectors are watching very carefully to see how users react to these new offerings.
Stamets updated her article on April 24, 2025, at 2:23 PM PDT, providing further context on the evolving conversations about Cluely’s impact on industry standards and ethical considerations. Innovation has a tendency to move fast and so do technology drivers. The discussion related to Cluely brings to light the difficulties that all new AI progress typically faces.
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