(WSVN) - Online dating applications have been rolling out new artificial intelligence tools designed to help improve users’ profiles and the chances of finding love, but experts say relying on them too much could hurt the chances of making a genuine connection.
Kathryn Coduto, assistant professor of media science at Boston University said the technologu has evolved quickly in recent years.
“It’s a very rapid, kind of, escalation of a new technology, and a lot of it is in response to people, again, feeling really tired of dating apps and feeling like they haven’t maybe found what they wanted,” she said.
For singles who are tired of swiping, apps like Bumble, Hinge, Tinder and Grindr are adding AI features that suggest matches, pick photos and start conversations.
Many singles also use their own chatbots.
“There is a lot of evidence that shows, you know, it can be really hard to stand out in a crowded dating pool. We see a lot of people turning to AI, particularly for that,” said Coduto.
Coduto compared it to asking a friend to help punch up a profile, except that friend is Claude or ChatGPT.
“Dating requires a lot of vulnerability, and so, thinking about how to showcase yourself, using tools to do that, I don’t think people are going to fault that,” said Coduto. “I think it gets a little uncomfortable when, if you’re sitting face to face with someone, and they tell you that an AI is who chose them.”
As AI continues to rise, Coduto advises users to treat it like a tool, not a stand-in.
She said users should not let AI pick matches or carry conversations, and they should be upfront with matches about using it once they build some trust.
“If you are using it initially, there has to be a point where you stop, because you’re going to meet this person, in person, hopefully, right? And so, you want to be yourself,” said Coduto.
Coduto also said users should not let AI sustain a persona or relationship that cannot be replicated face to face.
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