Hinge is pushing AI into dating and its boss says Gen Z needs chatbots to talk

Gen Z daters apparently want love but can’t start the conversation to get there, according to Hinge CEO Jackie Jantos. The dating app thinks a chatbot can teach them how.

Speaking to the BBC, Jantos said Gen Z users “absolutely want love” but lack the confidence to act on it. She points to the pandemic as the culprit, arguing it robbed young adults of the years when people typically learn how to flirt and socialize. The result: Gen Z now spends around 1,000 fewer hours a year with other people than those the same age did two decades ago, and nearly half of young adults in the UK report feeling lonely “often or always,” she adds.

The AI fix no one asked for

Hinge has two AI tools aimed at the problem. One reviews your profile and suggests improvements. The other generates opening lines so you don’t have to think of one yourself. Jantos insists this is about building confidence, not outsourcing your personality. “It’s not about writing words for you,” she told the BBC, but “helping you express who you are.” Sure.

The pitch lands at a convenient moment for Hinge, as its audience grew from 1.4 million to 1.5 million over a year ending in May 2025, while Tinder’s declined from 1.9 million to 1.5 million in the same period. The two apps are now roughly neck and neck.

Not everyone is convinced

Researchers are less optimistic than Jantos about dating apps and AI boosting confidence. Dr. Carolina Bandinelli of the University of Warwick says the industry oversold itself from day one and is now “past the hype.” Matchmaker Siobhan Copland puts it more plainly: her Gen Z clients are burned out, bombarded, and increasingly opting for quality over quantity.

Teaching someone to flirt with AI training wheels is a bold strategy. Whether it works is a different question entirely.