Gen Z is less comfortable with AI dating app features than millennials, survey finds
As young adults become more jaded by online dating, dating apps are trying to save themselves with AI features. Over the last few years, all the big players like Tinder, Hinge, and Bumble have added AI-powered tools. Users can now pick profile photos, break the ice, and get prompt help with AI. But has it paid off?
No, according to a new survey from Bloomberg Intelligence. Gen Z reported higher levels of discomfort than millennials when it came to using AI for tasks like modifying photos, messaging matches, and crafting profile prompts. Nearly half of the respondents said they didn't have trouble creating their profiles independently or messaging matches.
The survey of around 1,000 U.S. respondents was collected by Attest on behalf of Bloomberg Intelligence between May 15 and 29. The survey didn't mention apps by name, Bloomberg reported, only the types of features added.
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Bloomberg Intelligence technology analyst Nicole D'Souza, who wrote the report on the findings, said they suggested that apps aren't providing features that address user needs. When Mashable spoke to 10 daters earlier this year about dating in 2025, they said that they're sick of dating apps and wanted to date in-person again.
Despite this, though, it seems that some younger people are using AI to find a partner. Match and the Kinsey Institute recently found that nearly half of Gen Z has already used AI in their dating lives. In some cases, young people want AI to be their partner.
Dating apps, however, are working to beat the online dating fatigue. New Tinder CEO Spencer Rascoff, for example, wants to shed Tinder's "hookup reputation." On LinkedIn, he introduced "product principles" that will guide the app in its new era. One of them? "Stronger Together, Smarter With AI."
Topics Artificial Intelligence
Anna Iovine is the associate editor of features at Mashable. Previously, as the sex and relationships reporter, she covered topics ranging from dating apps to pelvic pain. Before Mashable, Anna was a social editor at VICE and freelanced for publications such as Slate and the Columbia Journalism Review. Follow her on Bluesky.
