Two sisters have launched Hot Girl Hotline, a startup that uses AI to give young women personalised dating and relationship advice. Balia Mudgil, formerly a social media consultant, co-founded the company with her sister Sumrin, who studied computer science at Stanford.
The startup aims to offer a safer alternative for people who already turn to large language models for personal advice. Balia said the team is not trying to build an AI companion, describing companions as targeting loneliness, escapism and boredom, and as something users can become emotionally dependent on.
Instead, the app focuses on advice grounded in behavioural science, delivered in a style intended to feel like chatting with a trusted friend or big sister. Conversations are often Socratic, with the AI asking questions to help users reach their own answers. The AI also knows when to end a conversation, pushing users to take action in the real world rather than ruminate.
Balia said the service is not a replacement for speaking to a human and is not clinical advice, adding that safeguards are in place. If conversations raise flags, users are referred to resources such as the crisis hotline 988. Sumi said the key to quality advice is not just knowing what to do next but understanding why you are doing it.
The app personalises advice to reflect each user's values, goals, identity and tastes. It relies on a mix of AI models and encrypts user data in transit and at rest. It does not sell or train on the data, and follows a zero-data-retention policy when using third-party AI models.
Hot Girl Hotline plans to monetise through a $9.99 per month subscription, which hundreds of its most active users are already paying for. It may later incorporate ads. The New York-based company is currently bootstrapped and will participate in TechCrunch Disrupt's upcoming Startup Battlefield 200. It is available on iOS and the web, and plans to expand into areas such as beauty and lifestyle.