The future of dating could be filled with artificial intelligence-powered digital personas coming together, according to the founder of a popular dating app.
Founder of Bumble Whitney Wolfe Herdspeaking Thursday at the Bloomberg Tech Summit in San Francisco, said her company is thinking about how AI can help and empower women in their search for connection.
One particular use of AI mentioned by Herd has gained traction online – although not everyone liked the idea. Herd proposed a scenario in which singles could use AI dating concierges as stand-ins for themselves when contacting potential partners online.
“There is a world where your dating concierge could date other dating concierges for you…and then you wouldn’t have to talk to 600 people,” she said at the summit.
AI-based dating assistants have recently attracted more attention, such as profile enhancers like YourMove.AI or simulated chatbots like Volar. The rise of generative AI, which can learn to imitate certain people, has led to much speculation about how it could be used in the romantic arena – especially as some people are increasingly more disappointed and gave up on dating apps.
There is some healthy skepticism about whether AI is the answer. An excerpt from Herd at the Bloomberg Summit won more than 10 million views on X, where people expressed discomfort with the idea of an AI-driven dating scene. Some have compared it to episodes of “Black Mirror,” a Netflix series that explores dystopian uses of technology.
Others believed that using AI in dating would exacerbate the isolation and loneliness people have felt in recent years.
Herd said she wants to use AI to teach people how to date better and “create healthier, more equitable relationships.” She suggested that AI dating concierges can help people solve their dating problems and give tips for communicating with new matches.
A Bumble spokesperson reiterated this sentiment in an email to NBC News. The spokesperson said the company can “see a future in which AI can continue to foster” positive relationships.
“Bumble is a place to make safe, kind and authentic connections, helping people meet online and then connect offline,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson also said Bumble has integrated several AI-powered features into the app, including its “For You” match recommendation page, spam profile detector, and obscene image blocker.
Herd also shared insight into where Bumble is headed after its recent rebranding.
“We won’t be a dating app in a few years,” she said. “Meeting will be a part of it, but we will be a real hub for human connection. This is where you’ll meet everyone you want to meet – a hiking buddy, a mahjong buddy, whatever you’re looking for.”
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
yahoo
