Singles are utilizing ChatGPT and Claude to craft their dating messages, and the apps have no intention of putting a stop to it.

      **TL;DR** Singles are relying on ChatGPT and Claude for dating messages, and apps like Match, Hinge, and Bumble are not monitoring this trend. 26% of US adults have sought AI assistance in dating.

      Singles are utilizing ChatGPT and Claude for crafting replies, analyzing mishaps, and generating opening messages for dating app conversations. This phenomenon, termed “chatfishing,” has resulted in a 5,000% increase in related Google searches and a surge of posts on Reddit and confessions on TikTok. According to a report from Match Group and the Kinsey Institute, 26% of US adults and 49% of Gen Z daters have employed AI for dating purposes, including photo selection, bio writing, and message composition.

      Dating platforms are largely ignoring this issue. Spencer Rascoff, CEO of Match Group, mentioned to Bloomberg that the company hasn't prioritized the situation. He stated, “As far as off-platform coaching goes, there isn’t much we can do.” Hinge’s CEO, Jackie Jantos, expressed the platform doesn’t want to be too restrictive but emphasized the significance of authentic human interaction. Bumble does not have filters for AI-generated content either. None of these three platforms enforce rules against AI-produced messages, but they do restrict AI-altered images.

      The issue isn't that individuals are seeking advice; asking friends for responses is a common practice. The concern arises when the other participant in the conversation may not be presenting their true self. One woman from Virginia noticed something was off when her Hinge match used unusual phrases like “makes a playlist for every life moment energy,” language that is typically unnatural. Upon inquiry, he confessed to utilizing Claude. Another woman in San Diego recounted a call where her date seemed to be reading from a script generated by analyzing her profile through a chatbot. Research from Wharton revealed that people accept AI-generated outputs 80% of the time, even if they are inaccurate. In the context of dating, the inaccuracy isn’t factual but instead personal. The AI representation of a person appears more articulate, attentive, and consistent than the actual individual who shows up.

      **The 💜 of EU tech** Get insights on the latest updates from the EU tech sector, a tale from our insightful founder Boris, and some questionable AI-generated art. It’s free and delivered to your inbox weekly. Sign up now! While AI detection technologies do exist, they are not reliably accurate, and no dating app has implemented them. A developer from New Zealand introduced an iPhone app called Chatfish, which analyzes screenshots for AI patterns, but the detection accuracy is variable and difficult to verify. A recent study found that advice from AI made individuals three times less accurate yet twice as confident, which similarly applies in this situation: users who delegate their personality to a model gain confidence in conversations they may struggle to maintain in person. The true test occurs at the dining table. “There was so much social awkwardness in person,” recalled one woman whose date admitted to using ChatGPT. “This is what happens when people hide behind a screen.”