Not a match: AI features on dating apps don’t go with Gen Z

Gen Z couples may be crazy about each other, but they aren’t loving AI on dating apps, a survey has found. The news may be heartbreaking for dating app companies that have invested heavily in AI-driven tools.

Dating app companies are investing in AI functionality to make romance easier and their businesses more profitable. The updates are endless, from Tinder’s AI feature, which helps users rate their profile images to tell them which one has the best chance to perform well, to Bumble’s AI feature, which helps users create profiles.

Chances are, however, these investments will not pay off.

A new Bloomberg Intelligence (BI) survey shows that Gen Z singles prefer to keep AI features at arm's length. People born between 1997 and 2012 are already reported to date less than millennials. Moreover, the report shows that they display greater discomfort with using AI to modify profile pictures, create profile prompts, or respond to messages.

The report found that almost half of the respondents did not struggle to create a profile on their own and did not need any assistance from AI. Also, most didn’t struggle to hold a conversation with a potential partner.

The report did not name any specific companies. However, the AI features that are discussed are currently available on Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge.

“Gen Z is more likely to abstain from dating,” said BI technology analyst Nicole D’Souza, who wrote the report via Bloomberg.

“And those who do participate are choosing long-term relationships over casual ones. Pandemic-era isolation may have also led them to prefer meeting people in person,” she added.

Nearly 1000 US respondents took part in the study.