Dating app companies are seeing a decline in demand, so they’re looking to recruit a new matchmaker: AI. WSJ’s Belle Lin reports on Grindr’s big bet that its new AI “wingman” will help its users find love. And we talk to someone who tried it. Further Reading: - Grindr Aims to Build the Dating World’s First AI ‘Wingman’ Further Listening: - The Price of Dating Apps - ‘Love Is Blind’ Is Back. Not All the Drama Is On-Screen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chapter 1: How do introductions work on a first date?
How do introductions work on a first date?
Introductions work on a first date. I think introductions typically, I'm a hugger, so I start with a hug. Some people go for the handshake, and I'm like, no, we've already been chatting. Let's not make this weird, right?
Chapter 2: What is Pietro Pecora's dating experience?
Pietro Pecora is 27, and he's single. He lives in San Francisco and works in tech. What's your dating life like right now?
I'm like casually dating. I got out of a relationship almost a year and some change ago. And I think that forced me to reflect on what I want in dating and what I'm looking for.
Do you have like a type?
My type. My friend said this and I was like, that sticks. My type is tall, dark and handsome. I like a bad boy.
Yeah. Okay. Okay. Who is your fantasy person? What do they look like?
It's hard because I'm not really a celebrity. And so, like, Pedro Pascal.
Pedro Pascal, the heartthrob who starred in The Mandalorian, The Last of Us, and also Corona beer commercials.
To really embrace life, you just have to learn to let go.
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Chapter 3: How does Grindr's AI Wingman work?
In his hunt for tall, dark, and handsome, Pietro mainly uses the LGBTQ dating app Grindr. And about six months ago, Pietro agreed to beta test a new feature on the app.
It's called AI Wingman.
AI Wingman, a bot powered by artificial intelligence, meant to help its users find love. Pietro is one of 10,000 people who've been given a peek into this unreleased AI technology. So you were AI curious?
Yes. Yes. That's a good way to describe it.
All right.
You have to be AI curious in this economy and in this world.
Welcome to The Journal, our show about money, business, and power. I'm Kate Leinbaugh. It's Thursday, February 13th. Coming up on the show, the new race on the AI frontier, love. Pietro has been using Grindr since he was 18. What does your about me say on Grindr?
Uh... Right now? Yeah. I think I just changed it, actually. So it says, up in Tahoe for the month of February, need ski buds. And then I say, start with a face pic. Big desserts guy. Prefer thick guys and connection, but inquire within. Okay. This is so, like... I'm like, I feel like you're carving into my soul right now. I don't even show my friends this. And I just admitted this on a podcast.
Okay. Okay. Let's breathe.
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Chapter 4: What are the challenges of online dating?
And many people have talked about this on social media.
I don't ever want to swipe again in my life. We can all agree that this has to be the worst time to be single, right? Because we're done with the old, we're done with the apps, but we're not in the new yet.
Just delete it. Don't download it again. Just be lonely. Just enjoy your loneliness.
If I don't meet anyone out in the wild, so be it, but I'd rather take my chances.
The dating apps are catching these signals, and they've been trying to right their relationship with users. Here's our colleague, Belle Lin.
Dating apps for quite some time since the sort of end of the pandemic have really struggled to retain the big numbers that they posted when people were stuck at homes and looking for connections. And being online and swiping was really one of the best ways to do that. But since then, it's been challenging to keep people glued to their phones when they're really seeking in-person interactions.
Dating apps like Hinge, Tinder, and Bumble have been struggling with declining demand and user engagement. Many younger users have snubbed the apps, and companies want to make online dating better, more joyful, and faster. Enter AI. Here's the CEO of Tinder at a conference.
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Chapter 5: How are dating apps using AI to improve user experience?
And I believe that as much as Tinder benefited from the smartphone bursting onto the scene in the 2010s, we can now leverage AI to transform the user experience.
And the founder of Bumble. There is a world where your dating concierge could go and date for you with other dating concierge. No, no, truly. And then you don't have to talk to 600 people.
But the app that's done the most with AI? You guessed it. It's Grindr.
They've really sort of come out ahead of the pack in talking about what AI can do. And they're talking about AI agents or bots. And what bots can do are essentially perform tasks or services on our behalf.
So whether that's going out and finding a great match for us or simply saying, you should meet at this coffee shop because you and the guy that you matched with both live in this neighborhood and it's convenient for the two of you. So that's the kind of future where AI is basically doing all the hard stuff that you don't want to do.
I am fascinated by the fact that they seem to be veering into a very sort of sci-fi direction in which one day, maybe not in the so far future, the apps are integrated with AI in every which way.
If a world where bots match lovers together sounds straight out of sci-fi... That's because it is. Take this episode of Black Mirror called Hang the DJ. In it, an algorithm matches different people in relationships until they find their lifelong partner.
It's my first time on the, you know, with the system.
Me too. A device pairs couples for fixed periods of time. In this scene, the AI even decides their meal. Do you know how we order?
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Chapter 6: How does Pietro use AI for dating tips?
I was mostly interested in dating tips and advice, because for me, I want to get better at talking to people in person, mostly. I think I have pretty good Grindr game. And so I was very curious when they said dating tips and advice to see what they would recommend.
So to help his real-life game, Pietro asked AI Wingman to write him some pickup lines.
Be bold. I lost my number. Can I have yours? Eh. Get playful. If you were a fruit, you'd be a fine apple. Go for humor. Are you a parking ticket because you got fine written all over you?
Whoa. Did you use any of these IRL?
I did not.
Can you ask your AI wingman for an opening line if you bump into Pedro Pascal?
Okay. Then opening line, if I bump into Pedro Pascal. they gave me something related to the Mandalorian. Um, excuse me, are you lost? Because I'm pretty sure heaven is missing an angel or maybe it's just the Mandalorian without his helmet. Hey, it's pretty good. Depends on how cringe you would find that. Um, or you could go with, I know you're not really my daddy, but wannabe.
Do you think you'll use that one?
I think, I don't know if I'd go with either of those. Um,
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