AI is quickly becoming a go-to cupid for online dating, and I’m glad I never have to deal with it
- Match’s Singles in America report shows AI use in dating has surged 333% in just one year.
- Nearly half of Gen Z singles now use AI to help with profiles, messages, or match filtering.
- AI may help polish dating experiences, but its long-term utility is questionable.
Finding a date online or with an app went from an embarrassing secret to a universal experience over the course of a few years. But, while it arguably peaked a few years ago, it’s still a hugely popular way to meet someone.
In 2025, a new wingman in the form of artificial intelligence has exploded in popularity. Match, the company behind Tinder, Hinge, and more than a dozen other digital dating services, found an enormous 333% increase in AI usage among singles in just one year. The rise was reported as part of the 14th annual Singles in America study, the largest of its kind, conducted with the Kinsey Institute. So, roughly one in four American singles now enlist AI to shape their profiles, come up with opening lines, or check up on potential matches.
The Singles in America survey is from 75,000 people. The AI usage isn’t spread evenly among single people, with nearly half of Gen Z singles saying they’ve used AI in some aspect of their dating life. But, 44% of all singles said they’d like AI to help them filter potential partners, and 40% want help crafting the perfect dating profile. That means if you’ve been on a dating app recently, there’s a good chance you weren’t flirting with a person; you were flirting with an AI’s suggestion of how they should flirt.
As odd as it sounds at first, it makes sense when you consider how so many people I know have become burnt out on them after dealing with confusing etiquette rules and more ghosts than a haunted house. Why not let a chatbot help you finesse your opening line or rewrite your bio?
“AI isn’t replacing intimacy, it’s giving singles an edge,” Match Director of Sex and Relationship Science Dr. Amanda Gesselman said in a statement. “For a generation overwhelmed by options, tools that bring clarity and efficiency are more than welcome.”
Apps like Tinder, Hinge, and Bumble have already started rolling out AI tools that suggest better photos, screen messages for tone, or recommend bios that perform well. Grindr’s testing an AI wingman to write icebreakers and date ideas.
AI romance
I used dating apps a lot in my single days. Crafting a fun, friendly hello, usually with a joke or little pun, was a key part of it, since if they didn’t like my sense of humor, it would probably be a bad date. Sure, it could be frustrating if it didn’t pan out, but the idea of letting an AI choose my photos, write my bio, message my matches, and schedule a date would not have been something I would have been interested in doing.
It was bad enough when my taken friends insisted on swiping and messaging on my behalf. Plus, when you finally meet in person after both using AI for the whole initial interaction, who exactly are you going on a date with?
I get the appeal of using AI to smooth over awkwardness. But AI should be a tool for taking over the tedious, boring bits of life. Using it for the fun parts of flirting and meeting someone seems like the opposite of how we should engage with AI. I’m not trying to be a Luddite or cranky old man about AI with dating.
If you’re anxious or just very awkward when starting a conversation, an AI prompt or suggestion can be a lifeline. Or if English isn’t your first language, these tools can help you express yourself more clearly. But going beyond little assists could cross a line and lead away from actual relationships.
The Match study also found a stunning number of Gen Z singles, around a third, have already had a romantic interaction with AI, as in, they skipped from AI helping find a date to AI being the date. It might sound hyperbolic, but enough people building relationships with AI will reshape what they expect from human relationships in unpredictable ways.
