How AI Could Change Dating as We Know It

From personal electronic assistants like Alexa to artificial intelligence (AI) bots like ChatGPT, people are leveraging artificial intelligence in just about every industry for a variety of tasks. So if AI can generate an easy mid-week recipe, steer our cars, and even shop online for us, why can’t it help us in the love department? 

With about 55% of couples now meeting online, technology and modern dating have become intertwined. In fact, fewer couples are meeting in person, with about 20% meeting at a bar or restaurant, about 15% through friends, and about 10% through coworkers as of 2020. These numbers have been on the decline over the past couple of decades, with only a slight bump in couples meeting at restaurants or bars.  

Let’s not forget, however, that real-life chemistry will never be replaced by algorithms. So where does AI fit into modern dating? Let’s talk about how AI is transforming online dating for the better, along with some potential pitfalls of machine matchmaking. 

Could AI change the dating game? 

The compatibility factor

Your digital footprint contains tons of information about who you are. AI-powered dating apps can use your online presence and behaviors to curate a selection of potential matches for you. Rather than swiping endlessly through dud profiles, an AI-generated dating feed can show you compatible matches based on your location, interests, gender preferences, social media behavior, and beyond. 

Creating new sparks

With AI-curated dating feeds, you could swipe less and date more. Rather than chatting up dead-end matches for hours, AI can help you start conversations with more compatible people and go on more first dates. 

But what happens when you and your date meet face-to-face? AI can’t help you there; that’s where real-life chemistry takes over. In situations like these, knowing how to foster real connections is crucial. Our In Tune card game helps couples deepen their intimacy by exploring questions about sex, marriage, and relationships that AI alone can’t answer. Developed by expert therapists and relationship coaches, In Tune can help you become even closer with your partner by exploring them through a new lens. 

Is the virtual grass always greener?

The formula for love

It’s no surprise that human connection is nuanced and complex. While AI can help you find more compatible matches, there’s no perfect love algorithm. What makes a partner right for you can’t be expressed through formulas or compatibility factors alone. Machines are blind to the complexities that make relationships great, so it’s important to hold space for chemistry to form IRL. 

Deepfakes & identity 

By now, you may have encountered AI-generated videos copying the likenesses of celebrities on your social media feeds. While many of these videos are light-hearted, the power to mimic someone’s appearance and voice online has troubling implications. 

Deepfakes are AI-generated pieces of audio or video that are often used to portray fake events. In the context of dating, the risk of having your likeness stolen and manipulated poses a real threat to your identity and safety. Reminiscent of the 2013 movie “Her,” some people are even forming relationships with AI-generated partners. Unfortunately, these AI-generated personas have been used to catfish or scam vulnerable people online. That’s why it’s more important than ever to stay savvy about AI and online safety. 

Where will our love lives go from here?

For better or worse, AI is now woven into our online world. While advances in artificial intelligence make finding potential romantic matches easier, they also pose new threats to our identity and safety. Ultimately, AI can’t know everything when it comes to matchmaking. That’s why finding opportunities to foster real-life connections are still incredibly important for couples, and why games like In Tune can help form strong relationships that go beyond the limitations of AI and algorithms. As we acclimate to the presence of machine learning in our online dating lives, we can lean into the conveniences that AI brings while also centering our human intuition on matters of the heart.