Gen Z is dating more but still wary of AI features on dating apps

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A Bloomberg Intelligence survey found 34% of users ages 16 to 28 are single and dating, up from 23% a year earlier

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Gen Z users of dating apps are dating more but remain cautious about AI features, according to Bloomberg.

A Bloomberg Intelligence survey that polled 1,000 people in the U.S. who use dating apps found that 34% of Gen Z respondents are currently single and dating, versus 23% a year earlier. Half of the respondents were men and half were women, and the survey ran from Aug. 26 to Sept. 21.

Willingness to pay for subscriptions has risen as the group has aged, though its price sensitivity is higher than among millennials, according to Bloomberg.

"As Gen Z ages, changing priorities toward dating and relationships could expand the future addressable market for dating apps," Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Nicole D'Souza wrote.

Barely more than 50% of Gen Z users said they feel at ease having AI write their replies and keep chats going, while 70% of millennials said the same. A sizable portion of respondents also said building a profile poses little challenge, which casts doubt on how much demand exists for AI tools that choose photos and complete the prompts on a profile.

"Dating apps may need to remain cautious in their use of AI, balancing tools that improve the user experience with the risk of turning away younger users who want more genuine connections," D'Souza wrote, according to Bloomberg.

Match Group, which owns Tinder, has tried to draw in younger users and stem wider losses of users by adding events held in person, along with formats that let couples or groups date together, according to Bloomberg.

Other surveys show mixed attitudes toward AI in dating, according to Arabian Post. A Match Group survey of about 1,000 U.S. singles between 18 and 39 found that 47% held a negative view of AI within romantic relationships, though 64% said it could help with things like profile upgrades and conversation openers. Two in five said they would not go out with anyone who uses an AI companion app.

A Kinsey Institute study showed that Gen Z singles were likelier to have turned to AI while dating, with 67% reporting use versus 46% of millennials, according to Arabian Post. A separate Hily survey covering 3,500 daters from Gen Z and the millennial generation found that 64% of Gen Z participants would not date a person who routinely uses AI, versus 56% of millennials, according to Arabian Post.

Match Group said in May that new Tinder registrations returned to year-over-year growth in March, the first increase in almost two years. "Our product changes are resonating with Gen Z and driving improvements in leading indicators," CEO Spencer Rascoff said in a statement at the time.

Match Group CFO Steven Bailey said the company aims to become "an AI-native company" and is slowing hiring to help fund that goal.

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