Artificial intelligence (AI) has entered the dating app services market and is reshaping the landscape. In the industry, as major dating apps such as Tinder and Hinge are rapidly adopting AI, "premium matching" appears to be emerging as the main service instead of the existing "unlimited matching."
According to the New York Times (NYT) on the 3rd (local time), major dating platforms are overhauling their matching services, which used to be done by swiping (touching a touchscreen and flicking across the screen), into AI-curated services. For example, the app Noon provides a service in which an AI chatbot talks with a user right after sign-up to gather information about an ideal type and recommends someone who meets the criteria within a week.
Emma Inge, 25, whose match was made through Noon in September, said in an NYT interview, "I paid a $25 fee and went out to meet the other person," adding, "With this approach, I thought it was worth trying once."
Some analysts say dating apps, which once hit a wall of user churn and plunging revenue, are using AI as a weapon to reset the game. Dating apps mainly generate revenue through subscription services, but last year paid subscribers at Bumble fell 9%, and Tinder under Match Group and Bumble both recorded churn of about 5%.
Only 20% of all dating app users pay for services, and given that they account for 97% of sales, it is interpreted as a red flag for revenue. In fact, Match Group's stock price fell 80% from last year's peak, while Bumble showed a 90% decline from its listing price.
The industry appears to be actively introducing AI to overcome what is known as the "fatigue of despair," the cycle of repeatedly installing and deleting apps. Instead of subscription-based "unlimited matching," platforms are offering AI-based premium matching and charging per transaction. Tinder is testing a matching service called "Chemistry" that analyzes users' photo albums to suggest ideal types, and Grindr plans to launch six features including "gAI," an AI-powered conversation assistant.
Some apps are also reportedly internally testing experimental features such as AI dating coaches and avatar dating, and Facebook Dating is said to have introduced a feature that connects users to real people who fit the ideal type they set.
Industry-wide changes are gaining momentum in step with leadership changes at corporations. Match Group hired Spencer Rascoff, Zillow co-founder, as chief executive officer (CEO) last year and carried out large-scale restructuring, while Bumble is aiming for a rebound in results as founder Whitney Wolfe Herd returned as CEO in March after leaving in 2024.
Investors are also looking for opportunities, and in particular private equity firms Francisco Partners and Permira are moving to build an "AI dating app portfolio" aimed at the industry's top spot.
Hesam Hosseini, chief operating officer (COO) at Match Group, said, "AI is already core to our business," emphasizing that the changes are becoming reality. CEO Wolfe Herd said, "AI dating is not a passing fad but a new reality," adding, "We will push service overhauls quickly and boldly."