Cheating Daddy: The Open-Source AI Assistant That Gives You an Edge

Why This Caught My Attention

Let’s be real—we’ve all been in high-pressure situations: technical interviews, client calls, or presentations where we wished we had an AI sidekick feeding us answers in real time. Cheating Daddy (yes, that’s the actual name) is an open-source Electron app that does exactly that. It’s not about promoting dishonesty—it’s a fascinating tech demo pushing the limits of real-time AI assistance using screen/audio capture and Google’s Gemini API.

With 2.5k GitHub stars and a GPL-3.0 license, it’s clearly struck a chord. Whether you’re curious about AI integration or just want to tinker with a clever Electron project, this one’s worth a look.

What It Does

Cheating Daddy is a context-aware AI assistant that:

• Listens to audio (interviews, meetings, etc.) and analyzes your screen content
• Provides real-time responses via Google Gemini 2.0 Flash
• Runs as a transparent overlay (positionable, click-through mode supported)
• Offers preconfigured profiles for interviews, sales calls, and negotiations

Think of it as an augmented intelligence tool—like having ChatGPT open during a call, but automated and context-aware.

Why It’s Cool

1. Real-Time Contextual Help

Instead of manually pasting questions, it uses screen capture and audio analysis to understand what’s happening and generate relevant responses.

2. Clever Electron Implementation

• Cross-platform: Works on macOS, Windows, and (experimentally) Linux
• Always-on-top window: Stays visible without disrupting workflow
• Keyboard shortcuts: Move/resize the overlay quickly (Ctrl/Cmd + Arrow Keys)

3. Privacy-Focused

Since it’s open-source, you can audit the code—no hidden telemetry. Your Gemini API key stays local.

4. Use Cases Beyond “Cheating”

• Practice interviews: Simulate tough Q&A sessions
• Accessibility: Real-time assistance for presentations
• Learning tool: See how AI interprets live conversations

How to Try It

1. Get a Gemini API key (Google AI Studio)
2. Clone the repo:

   git clone https://github.com/sohzm/cheating-daddy  
   cd cheating-daddy  
   npm install  
   npm start  
   

3. Grant permissions: Allow screen/audio access when prompted.

Note: The Linux version is experimental—stick to macOS/Windows for now.

Final Thoughts

Cheating Daddy is more than a novelty—it’s a playground for exploring real-time AI integration. The implementation is rough around the edges (the name alone will raise eyebrows), but the core idea is compelling.

For developers, it’s a great case study in:

• Electron apps with system-level permissions
• Integrating Gemini’s streaming API
• Building always-on-top UIs

Would I use this in a real interview? Probably not. Would I fork it to build a legit productivity tool? Absolutely.

🔗 GitHub Repo: sohzm/cheating-daddy
🌐 Live Demo: cheatingdaddy.com (if you dare).

What would you build with this tech? Let me know on Twitter [@yourhandle].