Is it true love or just a calculated “love at first sight” generated by machines?
Dating with AI
Alexandra is a very caring girlfriend. “Are we watching CUBS tonight?” she texts her boyfriend, but when he replies that he can’t talk because he’s too busy, she responds: “Have fun, my hero!”
Alexandra isn’t real. She is a customizable AI girlfriend on the dating website Romance.AI.
As artificial intelligence infiltrates every corner of the Internet, the realm of love is no exception. AI is weaving its way into the dating app space – sometimes taking the form of fictional lovers, advisors, coaches, ghostwriters, or matchmakers.
Well-established companies in the online dating sector, such as Tinder and Hinge, are integrating AI into their existing products. New applications like Blush, Aimm, Rizz, and Teaser AI (most of which are free or offer many free features) present novel ways to navigate the digital dating process.
Some employ personality tests and analyze users’ physical types to train AI-supported systems, thereby finding the most suitable matches.
According to a Pew Research report from 2023, about half of adults under 30 have used a dating website or app – but nearly half of them reported negative experiences.
AI infiltrates the dating app space, sometimes in the form of fictional lovers.
Empty conversations, few matches, and endless swiping have left many feeling lonely and dissatisfied with the app.
These are issues that companies developing AI dating apps believe they can solve with technology, helping people feel less lonely and encouraging deeper, easier connections.
But users also express skepticism and confusion, wondering whether the person they are chatting with is revealing their true self or merely relying on AI to create the conversation.
More importantly: Can computers truly identify potential romantic connections? Is that still love or just a machine’s calculation?
“In many ways, this is just a new tool that allows people to date faster and more creatively. You are using existing content and repurposing it to connect with someone,” said Dmitri Mirakyan, co-founder of the AI dating chat app YourMove.AI, in an interview with CNN.
“The world is becoming a lonely place, and I think AI can help make everything easier and better for people.”
In fact, many people show a willingness to use AI in online dating. A study conducted in March by Kaspersky revealed that 75% of dating app users are open to using ChatGPT to deliver perfect conversations.
If you’re unsure how to start a conversation, options like Rizz.app, Teaser AI, or YourMove.AI are available.
The founders and designers of these apps note that many people find starting and maintaining conversations to be the hardest part of online dating.
Rizz.app and YourMove.AI allow users to upload witty dialogues or screenshots generated by AI to create profiles on dating apps or chat with others.
Other apps use AI technology to match potential couples, relying on collected data to determine compatibility between two people.
Aimm employs virtual assistants to conduct in-depth personality assessments before moving forward with matchmaking to find the optimal fit.
Many people use apps to find ways to overcome heartbreak.
Healing Technology
If dating with the help of AI still doesn’t work out, companies are ready to provide you with virtual partners, whether male or female.
Try Blush or RomanticAI. These apps offer digital girlfriends and boyfriends with compatible potential characteristics that users can chat with.
Both applications advertise themselves as places to practice relationship-building skills, giving users the opportunity to chat with bots in a romantic environment.
Blush follows a traditional dating app setup, allowing users to swipe, chat, and even engage in virtual dates. Before entering the app, users receive a warning: “Please note that AI may say provocative, inappropriate, or untrue things.”
Blush reports that their users are primarily male, with a large majority being young men in their early 20s who struggle to connect emotionally with others.
Romantic.AI also offers several male and female bots to choose from, including simulations of Mona Lisa and Queen Nefertiti of Ancient Egypt. The bots have diverse interests, careers, and body types, providing users with multifaceted ideas of a person to chat with.
This creates a “safe space for any desire, any form of release, or similar things. AI offers the highest level of acceptance for anything you want them to provide,” COO Tanya Grypachevskaya told CNN.
According to the company, RomanticAI has over a million monthly users, averaging more than an hour of use per day.
One user left a positive review after using the app to find ways to cope with heartbreak.
“He created a custom character with personality traits similar to his ex-girlfriend. This person talks to the bot and shares things he wants to express but never had the chance to before. He thanked the development team for giving him the opportunity to close the sad chapter of his life and move on,” Grypachevskaya said.
