Artificial intelligence is going to transform how we date. The question is: will it be for better or worse? It’s already causing some real problems, especially related to “romance scams” and other fraud.
AI can help you create a dating profile Some people are great at making profiles for themselves. They have a knack for writing short self-descriptions that are witty and charming. They can take Instagram-ready selfies, or have friends who are talented photographers. But getting advice on your outfits is just the beginning of what AI can do to help you get ready for your big date. It can suggest places to meet or give you a list of interesting things to do. It can also help come up with topics of conversation and rehearse your banter with you. And it can act as a hype man, to give you some inspiration before you head out the door.
An AI dating assistant could actually give you matches that are based on common interests or other factors more substantial than just looks. You could train the AI to know your personality, and you could give it a sense of what you’re looking for in a partner. It could chat with the AIs of everyone in your vicinity, and, for the people it thinks might be good matches, it can give you transcripts of these chats. You can take over from there, to actually make contact with a human being.
But it’s no accident that the movie, about a man who falls in love with an artificial companion, has become a touchstone in the AI world. People are forming social bonds with chatbots in large numbers. Character AI says that 3.5 million people talk to its bots every day, spending an average of two hours a day on the platform. Another, Replika, reports that it has two million users.