New AI tech promises to make acing interviews or closing sales calls easier. Unfortunately, that convenience may come at the cost of rotting your brain.
Driving the news: Startup Cluely netted US$5.3 million in funding last week to build an AI assistant that helps users answer questions in real time. Besides raising cash, Cluely raised eyebrows with an ad on X promising a product that lets you “cheat on everything.”
- The tech, which co-founder Roy Lee claims he used to land an Amazon internship, reacts to vocal cues and uses an interface that’s invisible even during screen-sharing.
- In the ad, Lee is on a date with a woman and uses the tech to try and woo her and convince her he’s older than he is — Black Mirror comparisons were quick to follow.
Yes, but: Early reviews for Cluely have been harsh. Coverage by The Verge and 404 Media called out its long lag times and stilted answers typical of chatbots. When pressed by 404, Lee admitted that Cluely, essentially, was just using ChatGPT on the backend for responses.
Why it matters: Even if Cluely doesn’t take off, it feels inevitable that something like it will. While an AI Optimist might argue that a future where we never have to memorize inane facts is desirable, others might chafe at the idea of offloading cognitive processes to a machine.
Zoom out: A study from earlier this year at SBS Swiss Business School found that increased reliance on AI tools is linked to the erosion of critical thinking skills, with potential long-term implications for memory, attention, and problem-solving abilities.—QH