Tired of writing dating profiles? Or are you tired of slipping? Dating apps don’t really do it for you? Let a digital companion take over.
While user fatigue can set in – reports suggest notable drop in usage – the world’s largest online dating company is launching an artificial intelligence assistant that it says will “transform” online dating.
Match Group, the technology company with the world’s largest portfolio of dating platforms, announced it is increasing its investments in AI with new products available in March 2025.
A still-anonymous AI assistant will perform essential dating tasks such as selecting which photos it thinks will garner the most responses and recommending which prompts and information to put in a bio. It will also help a user to choose the ideal partner.
The AI will conduct a verbal interview with the user to establish what they want to get out of their dating experience and suggest messages to send to people they are matched with based on their interests.
The company also said the AI would provide “effective coaching for struggling users,” which would include tips for people who are unable to get matches on how to attract more attention to their profile.
Bernard Kim, chief executive of Match Group, told investors this month that the focus on AI would mark the start of a new phase in the company called “AI transformation.”
“This technology is revolutionary for dating, and we’re bringing it to life across our entire portfolio. I imagine AI will be felt throughout the experience, influencing everything from profile creation to matching and connecting for dates, literally everything.
A Last month’s Ofcom report showed usage of dating apps was falling compared to last year, with the two main apps owned by Match Group – Tinder and Hinge – losing almost 750,000 subscribers in the UK alone.
Gary Swidler, president and chief financial officer of Match Group, said AI would streamline the dating experience and that the company was investing in the technology now so its benefits would “manifest themselves over time” for investors and users.
“There’s a lot of information that AI can extract from someone else’s profile and help dramatically improve the matching process and the post-match process – you get better efficiency because you put in less effort and get better results.”
The technology is not without its critics, however. Anastasiia Babash, doctoral student and junior researcher at the University of Tartu in Estonia, and member of the international organization Ethical Dating Online projectsaid the increased reliance on AI in dating could harm people’s ability to interact without it.
“There is a risk that users who rely on AI in their love lives will face greater dependence on technology and reduced personal agency. If people start relying on AI to manage their conversations with potential dates, there is a risk that this will result in losing the ability to engage in real, spontaneous conversations and ultimately Ultimately, it will be harder for people to make real connections.
Babash also questions whether companies, including large multinationals such as Match Group, can be trusted to protect the immense amount of data they collect and use to train their algorithms, or to eliminate problems of bias of data that have prevailed in AI projects in the past. .
“Dating apps are constantly collecting more personal data to improve their connections and interactions. This constant collection of data raises significant concerns about data privacy and security. Many users may not fully understand the scope of data collected or how it is used, putting them at risk of data misuse or hacking.
“Additionally, AI systems used in dating apps are often trained on data that reflects existing biases. If these biases are not corrected, AI could reinforce stereotypes or even discriminate against certain groups based on factors such as race, gender or socio-economic status.
Faye Iosotaluno, general director of Tindersaid the company has taken a cautious approach to AI in terms of how it handles data, but is committed to making it mainstream.
“I think this has a chance to really revolutionize the way users engage. We want to be very thoughtful about this.