AI-Enhanced Dating Is Just Hype; Real-Life Experiences Are the Future

I must confess, I have a flirtatious nature. I relish every moment spent uncovering the layers of someone new. The playful exchanges. The surge of excitement. The unspoken tension and implications in what’s left unsaid. Flirting, for me, is one of the few remaining human interactions where people genuinely seek commonality. It’s a realm of endless possibilities and undeniable attraction. Moreover, it’s an art that can’t be imitated or—despite Silicon Valley’s efforts—replicated by AI.

That didn’t deter Big Dating from diving headfirst into digital intimacy this year, shifting its emphasis from mindless swiping to AI-enhanced matchmaking. As discussions around dating burnout intensified, the push for genuine connections emerged as a much-needed antidote for an industry that, over the last ten years, thrived on sheer scale, relentless ambition, and profit motives, only to uncover that the solution was in plain sight: Success lies in nurturing relationships.

The adoption of AI technologies wasn’t merely about fitting in with trends or embracing advancements (though it was partly that). This time, it transcended mere conversation: Big Dating aimed to atone for its past missteps.

Where dating apps once conspired to keep users hooked at any cost, AI became a chance to unite individuals more swiftly and, possibly, for the long haul. It prompted many companies to re-evaluate their user experiences. A Pew Research Center study from a few years back revealed that nearly 60 percent of single adults in the U.S. reported they weren’t actively searching for a partner or casual encounters. Despite not being in a romantic downturn—active users remain robust, bolstered by Facebook Dating’s unexpected popularity among Gen Z—overall engagement on several platforms has dropped by 7 percent year-over-year, according to analytics firm Apptopia. (Yes, even amid a peculiar Belgian artist’s attempt to match users based on their browsing history.)

This situation isn’t a crisis—hundreds of millions of people still swipe, scroll, and like daily—yet Big Dating urgently needed to mend its image. AI appeared to be the solution.

In October, Three Day Rule, a seasoned matchmaking service, unveiled an AI app called Tai, trained by matchmakers to provide real-time guidance. Grindr, aiming to create the ultimate global gay community by becoming “AI native,” is utilizing tools from Anthropic and Amazon for its wingman feature and chat summaries (though some users expressed dissatisfaction with the app’s comprehensive adoption of technology). Iris, Rizz, and Elate also introduced AI functionalities to assist users in navigating initial conversations.

In a year where Love Island USA was all the rage, yearners resurfaced, right-wing influencers sought more influence in the dating landscape, and virtual relationships flourished—anecdotal evidence also suggested AI affairs contributed to a rise in divorces. (A TechCrunch report indicated that the AI companion market has expanded over 96 percent since 2024.) Meanwhile, Tinder refreshed its brand and aimed to attract a younger audience. “Our primary concern … is the mass creation of new accounts,” Yoel Roth, head of trust and safety for Match Group, remarked to WIRED in October after Tinder’s new mandatory face verification rollout.