ARTIFICIAL intelligence is taking over dating apps after years of user backlash and exhaustion, according to a bold prediction by officials at Tinder.
Tinder, the most popular dating app in the world, is shifting toward new technology as users are becoming burnt out on internet romance.
In a recent survey conducted by Forbes, 78 percent of respondents reported feeling "emotionally, mentally, or physically exhausted" by dating apps.
Match Group, a tech company that owns online dating services including Tinder, OkCupid, and Hinge, says an AI shift is exactly what the apps need to reignite excitement in users.
"AI is going to transform the dating experience," Tinder executive Bernard Kim said at a recent investors meeting, according to the Financial Times.
"It’s going to enable us to make all aspects of the online dating journey better."
In preliminary efforts to improve the app experience, Tinder has started to test a trial requirement for users to upload pictures of their faces, which is currently optional in most regions.
The app is also testing a check that uses biometric scans to ensure that users' profile pictures aren't fake.
Faye Iosotaluno, the CEO of Tinder, also said on investor day that the app is trying an "AI-enabled discovery feature” that would suggest people's matches based on pictures and quizzes.
Tinder already uses AI to help its users pick the best pictures to use in their profiles.
However, the steps toward innovation didn't stop the app's slow descent over the years as sales dropped and digital dating fatigue grew.
A year ago, Tinder launched a pricy subscription plan called Tinder Select that allowed users to send messages to profiles without matching with them first.
The model sparked a backlash as critics worried that the plan removed consent from the user experience and created opportunities for stalking and harassment.
However, users have to meet a specific criteria and go through an application process to be eligible for Tinder Select.
Tinder isn't the only dating platform considering AI advancements.
Hinge CEO Justin McLeod said at Match's investor day that the Tinder rival plans to create personalized dating coaches for users with the help of AI.
Artificial intelligence is a highly contested issue, and it seems everyone has a stance on it. Here are some common arguments against it:
Loss of jobs – Some industry experts argue that AI will create new niches in the job market, and as some roles are eliminated, others will appear. However, many artists and writers insist the argument is ethical, as generative AI tools are being trained on their work and wouldn't function otherwise.
Ethics – When AI is trained on a dataset, much of the content is taken from the Internet. This is almost always, if not exclusively, done without notifying the people whose work is being taken.
Privacy – Content from personal social media accounts may be fed to language models to train them. Concerns have cropped up as Meta unveils its AI assistants across platforms like Facebook and Instagram. There have been legal challenges to this: in 2016, legislation was created to protect personal data in the EU, and similar laws are in the works in the United States.
Misinformation – As AI tools pulls information from the Internet, they may take things out of context or suffer hallucinations that produce nonsensical answers. Tools like Copilot on Bing and Google's generative AI in search are always at risk of getting things wrong. Some critics argue this could have lethal effects – such as AI prescribing the wrong health information.
“Dating isn’t easy," McLeod told investors, according to CNN.
"Many people using the app don’t get that first match and don’t know why — whether it’s their photos, not sending enough likes or taking too long to ask a match on a date.
"A dating coach can step in with personalized suggestions."
McLeod said that Hinge plans to fully embrace AI in the coming future with the same goals as Tinder.
“While AI is not going to be a panacea when it comes to the very deeply and personal problem of love, I can tell you that it is going to transform the dating app experience, taking it from a do-it-yourself platform to an expertly guided journey that leads to far better outcomes and much better value to our daters,” he said.
As AI expands to help daters find their perfect matches on dating apps, users can also take warning against scammers who use AI to prowl dating apps to manipulate or steal from victims.
However, social scientist Liesel Sharabi told CNN that daters are still in the "early stages" of embracing AI.
“The platforms are still figuring out its role in the online dating experience, but it really does have the potential to transform this space," Sharabi said.
Tinder hasn't responded to The U.S. Sun's request for comment.
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