Jersey City — I mean why swipe left or right when the algorithm can find your soulmate for you?
That’s right folks. The rise of generative AI has entered pretty much every sector of tech imaginable, including everyday platforms like dating apps.
Apps like recently-launched Iris are using AI to optimize the likelihood of users only interacting with dating profiles that the algorithm has determined that the user would be attracted to. The more the user interacts with Iris, the more personalized and accurate their matches will become, the company reports.
Meanwhile industry vets like Tinder have recently rolled out an AI-powered update to its Photo Verification feature, according to TechCrunch. This effort aims to eliminate the number of catfish or bot profiles on the platform.
Other forms of AI introduced to dating platforms have been chatbot features that use the information from a person’s dating profile to roll out a conversation from a human love interest.
While some deem the use of AI to stir up an initial flirtatious conversation as “just a tool,” others may deem it as impersonal and deceitful. Some users have even reported feeling guilty for using AI to initiate conversations with their now long term partners.
This wave of tech is new and on the rise – but it may not affect a bulk of Gen Zers considering the fact that most of the generation wants to date “more organically” and prefers the use of social media platforms like Instagram to date instead of dating sites, according to NBC news.
When Gen Z isn’t dating on social media, 61% of young people prefer to date their friends over strangers that they meet online.
Considering Gen Z’s preference in authentic reactions, I doubt that many folks would appreciate their matches using AI generated responses to speak to them.
But, at the same time, I believe some of Gen Z would completely understand how helpful a feature like that may be to someone with digital anxiety that would otherwise not interact with others online at all.
Gen Z’s value in good mental health practices may allow them to offer some compassion to those who need to use generative AI to build up social capital.
Keeping it gee, the AI boom is growing and at this point we’re bound to see the technology everywhere. But, just like any big tech boom, the likelihood of this boom sustaining time will depend on user interaction and approval. It will be interesting to see how Gen Z responds to AI in dating platforms longterm to determine its true favorability.