Not many viral stars are able to translate their five minutes of fame into something tangible. But Haliey Welch, better known as the “Hawk Tuah girl,” has done just that.
Welch became a trending figure after sharing some unconventional bedroom advice during a man-on-the-street interview. The clip made the rounds on social media, and Welch quickly capitalized on the newfound attention, first by creating her podcast Talk Tuah, and now by launching an AI-powered dating app.
Pookie Tools (named after her boyfriend) is billed by Welch as “your dating sidekick.” “I’m giving y’all my new cheat codes for navigating dating with confidence—no swiping, just smart tools to help you connect better to find your own ‘Pookie’ and hopefully love them forever!” Welch said in a statement.
The app’s key features include a conversation assistant to step in when conversations dry up, ice-breaking opener suggestions, as well as zodiac compatibility and outfit recommendations for different date scenarios. Two of the more controversial tools include a “bald predictor and “height detector”. The bald predictor works by analyzing a photo of a person searching for potential patterns of hair loss, while the height detector uses proportions and surroundings to estimate height.
Anyone who has spent much time on the apps will surely appreciate these features, taking to task men who insist they are 5,11 despite the obvious or serial hatfishers (someone who wears a hat or to cover up their balding). The app is also launching at a time when people are drowning in dating fatigue or becoming disillusioned with the interminable swiping on apps. About half of adults under 30 have used a dating app, and about the same number say their experience on them has been negative. Some have even turned to ChatGPT for dating advice, with platforms Bumble and Tinder jumping on the trend and introducing their own AI tools.
“I [was on] Bill Maher’s podcast, and it was actually one of his ideas he gave me,” Welch told TechCrunch in an interview. “He kind of pushed me, in a way, saying I should be a relationship coach. And so we came up with the idea. . . . This app is the easiest way for them to find their forever Pookie.”
Welch partnered with Ben Ganz, founder of Ultimate AI Studio, an AI customer support automation platform, to build the app which operates on a subscription model costing $7 per week or $50 per year. There’s also a three-day free trial if you want to find a Pookie of your own.
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