As falling user numbers affect dating apps, many are turning to AI to boost matchmaking efficiency. Is it worth it or a waste of time?
Tired of the same old dating apps like Bumble and Hinge, Marie Lansley tried talking to an artificial intelligence matchmaker.
For roughly 15 minutes, she chatted with an AI voice on the dating app Known, answering questions about her upbringing, personality, education, lessons from past relationships and whether she was looking for a serious relationship or something more casual. “Divorced at 36. Yeah, you’re not here to waste time. The way you build your days matters,” the AI voice told her after Lansley replied she was looking for a serious relationship.
Weeks later, the San Francisco resident got a match, along with a written summary of why the pair could be compatible. But the stranger was not her type and she was not keen on paying US$15 to meet up.
“I want to be able to use AI to improve efficiency in dating and to help navigate a pretty frustrating dating landscape. But there are just some things that are so deeply human that AI technology cannot capture,” says Lansley, who has posted about her dating experience on social media.
Singles like Lansley are dipping their toes into the wacky world of AI dating but they are also sceptical if it will make it easier to find love.