Robot heart shaped hand: futuristic dating concept

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Dating apps are all in on AI, whether users want it or not

The idea of AI in dating apps gives people the creeps. But can it help the app companies get out of a revenue rut?

3/17/25 9:40AM

If you ask dating app users, they’ll say they want an experience that feels more human. If you ask dating app companies, the solution is adding robots to the mix.

Companies like Bumble, Grindr, and Tinder and Hinge owner Match Group are all working toward incorporating artificial intelligence into their platforms.

But there’s mounting research that users have a negative perception of AI encroaching on their dating life. At the same time, running groups have emerged as a dating app alternative, and event-based “friendship apps” that get people together for group conversation have taken off.

A recent survey by Boston University found that most respondents, especially women, are skeptical of AI in dating apps. Users are already skeptical of the algorithms dating apps use to present users with potential matches, a 2023 survey from Pew Research Center found. And with good reason: their algorithms were more likely to show you people who are popular on the app rather than those who are compatible with you specifically, according to a 2023 study by Carnegie Mellon University.

“For an end user looking for a relationship, AI feels like this kind of weird third party,” said Kathryn Coduto, a Boston University professor who studies online dating. “It’s not the friend of a friend, it’s this weird robot in the middle.”

AI might have more rizz than you do

I sympathize with the majority of people who are turned off by the idea of introducing even more technology to a process that already looks nothing like the meet-cute moments sold to us in movies. But the AI products closest to being implemented are a bit more practical than they sound.

Match Group, for one, has said it will introduce features that help users select photos from their camera roll to include in their profile or help them brainstorm something interesting to say for a first message. Coduto said a common sentiment among dating app users is that they don’t want to put in effort for a witty or creative first message, but they would like to receive one.

In other words, nobody knows what to do with a simple “hey” message on a dating app, but at the same time, few people could be bothered to analyze their match’s profile to find something interesting to say. (See below: ask her about her plants! Why didn’t I think of that...)

Hinge AI — Screenshot from the Match Group Investor Day presentation (December 2024)

LGBT+ dating app Grindr recently started testing its AI Wingman with 10,000 users late last year and has said its release is ahead of schedule. The product, powered by Amazon Web Services, helps users think of witty responses and suggests profiles to interact with, among other things. For those unfamiliar, Grindr uses a grid interface where all users in a given vicinity can message each other and is more hookup oriented than Tinder or Hinge.

A Wired writer who tested the product said it gave information and advice about fisting and other kinks — topics that most chatbots are designed not to engage with — though it pushed back on his sexual advances, saying it would rather keep things “PG-13.” (Falling in love with a chatbot is not outside the realm of possibility.) The AI Wingman was generally a value add, Wired concluded.

“Grindr’s approach to AI isn’t about replacing human interaction — it’s about facilitating better conversations, deeper connections, and ultimately, more real-world success in dating,” a Grindr spokesperson told Sherwood News.

As opposed to its heterosexual peers, Grindr is still reporting growth. It benefits from user base that’s easier to monetize: gay men earn more money on average, stay single later in life, and are less likely to be monogamous if they are taken.

Screenshot 2025-03-15 at 4.06.18 PM — Screenshot from Grindr’s Investor Day presentation (June 2024)

OK, but will AI make dating apps more profitable?

Even if AI does improve the experience, it’s unclear whether that will translate to more paying users.

A big problem with dating apps’ business model is that having a fantastic product and monetizing it are fundamentally opposing goalposts. A dating app that’s really good at fulfilling its purpose ultimately loses a customer, or at the very least, quickly gets them off the platform and in front of a human.

It’s a tough nut to crack. Match Group and Bumble have struggled to grow their revenue, and investors are starting to lose patience. Both have been in the “throw spaghetti at the wall” phase for a couple years now, which has included leadership shuffles.

“Dating apps are interesting because so often, more than many other industries, the investors and the end users are looking for the opposite things,” Coduto said.

Tom Jones6/24/26

Prime Day is here again and Amazon’s subscription service has never been more popular

Well, it’s that time of year again: many have made their wish lists, people are scraping together the money they’ve saved to pick out a perfect gift, some are presumably leaving out refreshments for the weary delivery drivers and, more and more, drones.

It’s Amazon Prime Day — meaning that it’s the second day of the four-day promotional event that Amazon still calls Prime Day — of course, and it’s even come early this year, with the company bringing the period into late June from July, when it’s been traditionally held for the last five years.

The Prime Age

Alongside the eyes and endless clicks that the arbitrary stream of listicles on “The Best Prime Day Deals” that almost every media outlet pours into, Amazon will also be cheering the fact that there’s now more Prime users than ever before to devour the retailer and its sellers’ sometimes-contested “discounts.” Indeed, according to the latest annual estimates from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), there were just over 200 million American shoppers using Amazon’s massive subscription service at the end of 2025.

Max Knoblauch6/15/26

Electronic Arts launches a platform to put more ads in its games

Video game publishing giant EA launched a new platform on Monday designed to make the process of selling immersive ad space in its popular games easier.

The company says the platform, called EA Advertising, allows brands to “integrate directly into gameplay through dynamic, real-time placements, from stadium signage to custom in-game content.”

More so than other studios, EA has incorporated advertising into its most popular titles. As Kotaku points out, the company’s ad efforts stretch as far back as 2006. Several of its sports franchises already feature partnerships with brands like Visa, Lowe’s, Red Bull, and PepsiCo.

In-game advertising hasn’t exactly been embraced by fans, but industry experts expect it to ramp up as companies seek more revenue to offset higher games budgets and surging memory costs. EA rival Take-Two has taken a different approach, with CEO Strauss Zelnick recently saying the company was “not at risk of doing brand partnerships” in the forthcoming “Grand Theft Auto VI,” and that ads in full-price games seems “unfair.”

The $55 billion deal to take EA private, led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, is set to close at the end of this month. Being the largest leveraged buyout in history, EA will likely look for more ways to boost revenue to cover interest payments.

Electronic Arts Makes Push for Ad Dollars Tied to Sports

Millie Giles6/11/26

JM Smucker says it sold $1 billion worth of Uncrustables in FY2026

After years of booming sandwich sales, JM Smucker has finally earned a billion-dollar crust.

On Tuesday, the company reported results for fiscal year 2026, highlighting better-than-expected profits driven by higher prices for coffee and sweet baked goods. However, at another point on the earnings call, CEO Mark Smucker pointed to one particularly jammy figure: in line with previous forecasts, the company sold $1 billion worth of its (almost always) crustless sandwiches, Uncrustables, in the last year alone.

Max Knoblauch6/8/26

Paramount reportedly offers concessions to resolve multistate antitrust investigation

Paramount has reportedly offered up some concessions in an effort to prevent an antitrust lawsuit by California and about 10 other states, according to Bloomberg reporting on Monday.

Reuters first reported on the potential suit from a group of unnamed states last week, which could throw a wrench in Paramount’s plans to buy rival Warner Bros. Discovery in a Hollywood megamerger.

The list of concessions is unknown, though Bloomberg previously reported that Paramount is open to divesting some of its kids TV assets to appease EU regulators.

Late last month, reports said US regulators appeared likely to approve the $110 billion merger, following a meeting between Paramount CEO David Ellison and DOJ antitrust staffers.

Paramount Offers Concessions to Head Off State Antitrust Lawsuit

The list of concessions is unknown, though Bloomberg previously reported that Paramount is open to divesting some of its kids TV assets to appease EU regulators.

Late last month, reports said US regulators appeared likely to approve the $110 billion merger, following a meeting between Paramount CEO David Ellison and DOJ antitrust staffers.

$98B ⛽

Max Knoblauch6/8/26

The IATA released its latest financial outlook for the airline industry over the weekend, forecasting a $98 billion jump in the sector’s collective fuel bill. The world’s largest trade group representing airlines expects the oil spike to halve profits by 49% from last year to $23 billion.

The group also expects profit margins to halve year over year, falling from 2025’s 4.2% to 2%. Still, revenue is expected to climb to $1.17 trillion from $1.07 trillion.

A surge in the cost of jet fuel has rocked US and global airlines this year, leading Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, and others to raise fares and ancillary charges like bag fees. Low-cost carriers, which operate on smaller margins, have been squeezed the hardest, resulting in Spirit’s shutdown.

“It’s a tough year for all airlines, especially those whose balance sheets had not yet recovered from COVID. And, of course, for those operating in the Gulf,” said IATA Director General Willie Walsh, who added that demand is holding up and about half of passengers expect to spend more on travel this year. “That bodes well for a strong northern summer peak season. The big unknown is how long travelers and shippers can tolerate the higher costs of connectivity.”