Tinder, the world’s most popular dating app with 50 million monthly users, could easily do with AI friendships – but choose them. “We thought about it a lot, [but ultimately decided] Helping people connect in the real world, person to person,” said Mark Kantor, Tinder’s head of product, while speaking at TechCrunch disrupting 2025 yesterday (Oct. 29).
For that matter, tinder has been gradually integrating AI across its platform, from developing personalized recommendations to moving profile setup. The latest update, face check, uses facial recognition to verify the user’s identity. Users are asked to upload short selfies to ensure they match the photos on their profiles. The tool aims at three main issues: reducing bots, verifying user authenticity, and preventing duplicate accounts.
“These are the three most important things that we didn’t have at the time,” Kantor said, noting that face check has already cut bots and bad actors by 60 percent in recent months. “If you don’t trust that the people you see are real and have good intentions, then obviously you’re not going to have a good experience.”
The feature, already required in California and several other states, will soon expand to the US
Tinder is also testing an AI feature in New Zealand and Australia that poses daily questions to users to better understand their dating preferences. If members don’t like their matching suggestions, they can provide feedback that helps refine future recommendations later.
AI also simplifies the onboarding process. Instead of spending up to 30 minutes creating a profile, users can now let tinder’s algorithm scan their camera roll (with permission) and suggest their best photos, Kantor said.
The role of AI in relationships has been a topic of debate. Developers such as OpenAI have introduced parental controls following concerns about chat communication, while friendly AI apps have faced backlash for exploiting loneliness and allowing unhealthy attachments. Earlier this month, Senators Hawuwley, Republican from Missouri, and Richard Bluencenhal, Democrat from Connecticut, introduced a bipartisan bill to limit such Virtual technology, especially for young users.
Tinder’s AI appeal isn’t about keeping users hooked on the app — it’s about helping them find matches faster. Kantor said that tinder measures success not in screen time but in fewer exchanges, which aims to reduce the third. “We really want to get to where you swipe less with this positive effect,” he said.
That might sound counterintuitive to a company that lives on user engagement, but Kantor doesn’t care. “I think if people know they can come to the app on Monday and get the big day on Friday, I think they’ll reach out,” she said. “We won’t be able to sell at all – we will be surprised.”
Flower dating rivals make the same move. Hinge uses AI to identify profile photos that are likely to get likes, while Bumble’s ai-adven safety tools automatically detect and blur specific photos.
