AI Love: How Tinder is testing a tool to help users build a better profile

Do you find yourself befuddled every time you think about setting up your online dating profile? Does writing bios or selecting the right picture make your hands sweat? If these thoughts cloud your mind and are deterring you from joining the dating world, then here is some good news.

Dating app Tinder may soon introduce an artificial intelligence (AI) feature that will help users select their photos for their profiles. The app could also potentially deploy generative AI for writing bios.

Let’s take a closer look at this.

Tinder may get AI photo selection feature

As per reports, Tinder is testing an AI tool that will assist users in selecting five images from their photo album that best represents them.

Bernard Kim, the chief executive of Tinder’s owner, Match Group, in a call with investors and analysts earlier this week said, “AI has really inspired our product people across the entire company to really think about ways that we can create new experiences, but also solve for key dating pain points”, TechCrunch reported.

“I’ll use Tinder as an example. Sometimes, people are really excited to jump into the Tinder experience…then in that exact moment where you upload five pictures, people get generally nervous or uncomfortable, like, ‘What is the right picture that I’ve taken over the last year to make my dating profile more me?’”

He said Match Group, also the parent company of dating apps like Hinge and OkCupid, plans to roll out a series of initiatives involving generative AI to “eliminate awkwardness” from dating, reported The Guardian.

“I really think AI can help our users build better profiles in a more efficient way that really do showcase their personalities,” Kim added.

Match Group also has other initiatives in the works for Tinder that might be launched in the coming months. The dating app is also expected to adopt AI to “surface the right content to the right people to help improve relevancy and, ultimately, user outcomes”, according to The Guardian.

As per Insider, Tinder has been using AI for “matching algorithms, merchandising, and trust and safety efforts” since 2019.

The dating app earlier acknowledged that generative AI would play an important role in helping users find matches.

AI for writing dating bios

Speaking at the Reuters Momentum event in July, Tinder chief product officer (CPO) Mark Van Ryswyk signalled that the dating app may use generative AI to help users write their bios.

“You know, some of us are gifted writers, but many of us are not…So, being able to help draw out what’s important to capture in a bio, you know, sharing something a bit more personal or maybe that’s just sharing a highlight, or just sharing what your intent ultimately is,” Van Ryswyk said, as per TechCrunch.

According to The Guardian, the feature, only available in test markets currently, deploys an AI tool that recommends text based on the “interests” and “relationship goals” sections of the person’s profile.

However, there are also concerns related to generative AI tools that can be easily used by catfishers and scammers to deceive people.

Crystal Cansdale, the head of communications at the dating app Inner Circle, told The Guardian, “From scammers, spammers and fake profiles, the whole industry is worried about how AI can be used to trick people.”

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Rise in AI-powered dating apps

Last year, Bumble launched an AI feature to detect unsolicited nude pictures and tackle cyberflashing.

OkCupid announced earlier this year that it will introduce new AI-written matching questions throughout the year.

Teaser AI enables the users to chat with an AI version of a potential match before swiping right or left.

Relationship app Flamme now has a new AI-powered “Ask Me Anything” tool for users seeking dating advice.

ChatGPT and the dating world

A recent survey by Attractiontruth, an AI dating coach, found that about 20 per cent of 1,371 men, between the 25 to 35 age groups, are using tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT to develop their dating app profile bios, and curate “tailored” and “captivating” messages, reported Insider.

“By employing AI to initiate and manage conversations on dating apps, users can experience more positive outcomes and enhanced interaction quality,” Salvatore Damiata, the cofounder of Attractiontruth, told Insider in an email earlier.

Another study by cybersecurity firm Kaspersky and Inner Circle surveyed single men and women in the United Kingdom to find out about ChatGPT’s role in the dating world.

The research revealed that most single adults are willing to adopt ChatGPT to help them in online conversations, however, just 37 per cent said they would like to use the chatbot to enhance their profiles, reported The Guardian.

A Tinder report released in May said that mentions of ChatGPT have surged 14 times since 1 January. As per the report, about 34 per cent of 18- to 25-year-olds on the dating app said they would be open to using AI tools if available, noted New York Post.

With inputs from agencies