Of course, that didn’t stop Big Dating from going all in on virtual intimacy this year, during which the focus shifted from endless swiping to AI-powered matchmaking. As narratives around dating fatigue reached new heights, the trend towards honest relationships was an overdue fix by an industry that had built itself over the past decade on brutal scale, insane ambition and profit incentives, only to realize that the answer was right in front of them: You win by investing in people.
The integration of AI tools wasn’t just about keeping up with the Joneses or leaning into new innovations (although it was). Was some of that). For once it was more than just conversation: Big Dating was seeking salvation from its sins.
Where dating apps somehow conspired to retain users, AI offers the opportunity to connect people faster and perhaps forever. This prompted many companies to rethink their user experience. According to a Pew Research Center study a few years ago, nearly 60 percent of single adults in the US said they were not currently looking for a relationship or a casual date. And while we’re not exactly in a romantic recession – active users remain high; Not to mention that Facebook Dating is a secret hit among Gen Z — overall user engagement across multiple apps is down 7 percent year-over-year, according to analytics firm Apptopia. (Yes, despite a Belgian artist’s bizarre attempt to match people based on their browser history.)
It’s not a crisis or anything like that – millions of people still swipe, scroll, and like on a daily basis – Big Dating desperately needs to improve its reputation. AI seemed like an answer.
In October, veteran matchmaking service Three Day Rule launched a matchmaker-trained AI app called Tai, which provides real-time coaching. Grindr, which is looking to become the ultimate global gaydom by going “AI first,” is using Anthropic and Amazon’s tools on its wingman feature and chat summaries (though some users weren’t happy with the app’s broader embrace of machine technology). Iris, Rhys, and Alette also introduced AI features to help users in the early conversation stages.
In a year where everyone had love island usa As more and more curious people took to social media, virtual relationships saw a record increase – as did divorce cases due to AI. (According to a report from TechCrunch, the AI companion market is set to grow by more than 96 percent since 2024.) Meanwhile, Tinder did a brand refresh to try to attract more Gen Z users. “The biggest issue we’re concerned about… is the wholesale creation of new accounts,” Match Group head of trust and safety Joel Roth told WIRED in October following the launch of Tinder’s mandatory face verification update.
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