Many of the dating platforms you’re on are already using some form of AI. And plenty of recently launched apps, including some of the ones below, come with next-gen features that you can deploy right now.
Think of this tech like an assistant—or an entire team of assistants—you’d hire to help you present an expertly curated version of you, from first look to first message.
1. For Nailing Your Visuals
Bumble has an in-app tool called Best Photo that uses machine learning to help put your most effective pic first. (To activate it, just go to Edit Profile and then toggle on the Best Photo button.) And Tinder is set to release a function later this year that goes through your camera roll to select the images most likely to earn right swipes.
2. For Sounding Like Your Best Self
The same tools that can zhuzh up your résumé (like the free virtual writing coach and proofreader Grammarly) can be surprisingly useful for editing your dating app bios, says certified relationship coach Megan Weks. If you’re completely stuck on where to even start, ask ChatGPT or Bing questions like, “What’s a good answer to ‘I’m competitive about…’ if I want a potential app match to know I love to travel?”
3. For Help With Matching
“A matchmaker utilises the dating preferences you articulate, but humans are especially bad at describing the type of person they’re attracted to,” says Igor Khalatian, PhD, founder of Ideal Match, which has an app called Iris Dating. “AI uses patterns and data, so it may actually understand what you’re looking for better than you do.” A bold statement for sure, but you can absolutely give it a go—Iris Dating (free for the basic version) uses AI to recommend people to you based on your likes and dislikes.
4. For Better Opening Lines
And to actually keep the convo going, we give you AI-backed apps like YourMove AI and (which offers free and paid premium options). They can send you what to message someone based on their dating profile and will also craft responses to messages you’ve already received. Chatbots can work here too: Ask them things like, “How do I respond to make the conversation more interesting when someone asks what my favourite food is?” suggests dating expert Alexis Germany Fox. A word of warning, though, from professional wingman Thomas Edwards: Nobody wants their interactions reduced to two horned-up robots chatting, so use these tools as a way to “speed up the creation process, then add in your own elements to make it uniquely yours.”
5. For Building Emotional Intelligence
Few people want to hear it, but flirting and dating are actual skills that require actual practice. Working with chatbots or AI-powered digital coaches, like those on the free Keeper.AI, can give you the opportunity to test out scenarios and learn more about yourself and what you’re looking for. Dating expert and therapist Michelle Herzog, LMFT, suggests asking ChatGPT to “give me 10 examples of expressing emotional intimacy when you are first starting to date someone new.” Then see if any help you feel closer to a date.
A Note On Safety In This New World
By Marta Jasinska, VP of engineering at Bumble Inc.
“The number one issue affecting our daters’ confidence is not knowing if the person they’re talking to is who they say they are. So we’ve recently launched Deception Detector, an AI model that combats the growing challenges of spam, scam, and fake accounts on our platforms. In October 2022, we also released an open-source version of our Private Detector, which utilises AI to detect and blur lewd and nude images, to help the wider tech community combat cyberflashing.
With any new technology, it’s important to set guardrails to ensure it is being used responsibly. So last year, we became a founding partner of a new framework led by the Partnership on AI focused on addressing AI-enabled harms, including those that affect women and marginalised people. And we deploy AI for automated safeguards against harassment and identity-based hate. To give you a sense of what this looks like, in 2023, we blocked over 8.2 million accounts by August alone.
This article appeared in Issue 01 of Cosmopolitan Australia, originally from Cosmopolitan US. Get your copy and subscribe to future issues here.
