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Home Business

Swipeless online dating? How AI is reshaping the search for love

by Binghamton Herald Report
June 28, 2026
in Business
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Tired of the same old dating apps like Bumble and Hinge, Marie Lansley tried talking to an artificial intelligence matchmaker.

For roughly 15 minutes, she chatted with an AI voice on the dating app Known, answering questions about her upbringing, personality, education, lessons from past relationships and whether she’s looking for a serious relationship or something more casual.

“Divorced at 36. Yea, you’re not here to waste time. The way you build your days matter,” the AI voice told her after Lansley replied she was looking for a serious relationship.

Weeks later, the San Francisco resident got a match along with a written summary of why the pair could be compatible. But the stranger wasn’t her type and she wasn’t keen on paying $15 to meet up.

Startups like Known are roping in new users by hosting in-person dating events in San Francisco.

“I want to be able to use AI to improve efficiency in dating and to help navigate a pretty frustrating dating landscape. But there are just some things that are so deeply human that AI technology cannot capture,” said Lansley, who has posted about her dating experience on social media.

Singles like Lansley are dipping their toes into the wacky world of AI dating but they’re also skeptical if it will make it easier to find love. Online dating is ripe for disruption, and tech companies big and small are turning to AI as a potential solution to find people better matches more quickly and help them improve their chances of landing a date.

For years, people have been frustrated and exhausted by the seemingly endless amount of swiping and small talk that go nowhere on dating apps. They’re turning to in-person options such as running clubs, pickleball and speed dating but finding the right partner is still tough.

Online dating remains a popular way people search for a partner but some are dumping the platforms. Tinder’s monthly active users in March dropped 7% year-over-year, though its parent company Match Group noted that the rate of decline has been slowing as it revamps the app.

West Hollywood-based Tinder, which has roughly 50 million monthly users, has been experimenting with using AI to analyze a user’s camera roll and recommend better matches.

Known, an AI dating app, has their branding plastered on a store front in San Francisco's Marina District.

Known, an AI dating app, has its branding plastered on a storefront in the Marina District in San Francisco.

Its rival Bumble — an app that initially stood out for having women message their matches first — saw its paying users drop 21% to 3.2 million in the first quarter this year compared to 2025. The company has been working on AI matchmaking and plans to ditch swiping in the last three months of the year in select markets.

Even dating services that have grown users such as West Hollywood-based Grindr, an app for the LGBTQ+ community, and Facebook Dating, which is included in the main social network, are also leveraging AI more.

And new AI dating startups are popping up in California, New York and other states that could change the way people find a partner online. Former Hinge co-founder and Chief Executive Justin McLeod is working on an AI dating app called Overtone, stating on its website that “AI, if used correctly, can help us invent an entirely new way for people to find their partners that is far more personal, far more efficient, and far more effective.”

Some of those startups started in the San Francisco Bay area, where AI dating apps are hosting parties, speed dating, coffee meet-ups and other in-person events to rope people into using their new service.

Singles attend a dating event hosted by startup Known in San Francisco.

Singles who downloaded the Known dating app mingle over drinks at Left Door, a cocktail lounge in San Francisco, on Thursday.

On one recent Thursday night, dating app startup Known hosted a dating event at a swanky San Francisco cocktail lounge for people who completed their matchmaking call on the app. The event’s description said attendees would be greeted with “champagne, caviar bumps, and a mysterious envelope” that reveals who the AI matchmaker paired them up with.

Known Chief Executive and co-founder Celeste Amadon, who dropped out of Stanford University to create the AI dating app, said Americans are spending more time alone at home as online services have made it more convenient to do everything from getting food delivered, online shop and date. Young people complain about traditional dating apps yet they’re also still on them.

“The more I understood today’s dating apps, the more clear it became that they have been for the better part of two decades now, designed, tweaked, redesigned, rebuilt, to not work,” she said.

1

A sign that reads, "I love my AI boyfriend" hangs in a San Francisco window.

2

Known, an AI dating app, has their branding plastered on a store front in the Marina District San Francisco

3

Celeste Amadon, CEO of Known, poses for a portrait.

1. A sign that reads, “I love my AI boyfriend” hangs in a San Francisco window. 2. Known, an AI-driven dating app, has their branding plastered on a store front in the Marina District in San Francisco. 3. Celeste Amadon, CEO of Known, poses for a portrait.

The company charges per date to ensure people show up but the startup also has a business incentive to find people a match they actually want to meet, she said. Known plans to expand to San Diego in July, she said. Amadon said she expects the AI matching technology to become more accurate over time.

Known hasn’t shared its user numbers or revenue figures. Founded in 2025, the startup launched the dating app in February and has raised roughly $10 million from investors such as Coelius Capital, Forerunner Ventures and NFX, according to PitchBook.

Grindr is learning more about how much users are willing to use and pay for AI features.

The company has been testing a subscription tier called “Edge” in Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Canada that includes AI tools that recap meaningful chats, display personalized profile recommendations and show users who they’re likely to match with.

Unlike other dating apps, Grindr users don’t swipe through profiles. The app displays a grid of people who are nearby that they’re able to chat with. Grindr has expanded beyond casual dating, allowing people to find friends, travel companions and others in the LGBTQ+ community.

Grindr’s Chief Product Officer AJ Balance said the company is still testing subscription pricing for Edge but some users are willing to pay $350 per month because they’re “seeing a lot of value” and saving time.

“We view AI and new paradigm shifts like it as opportunities to build great, new product experiences that haven’t been developed before,” he said. “Our approach is really to leverage AI, like we did with mobile, to facilitate better conversations, deeper connections, ultimately more success in dating in the real world.”

Other popular dating services aren’t charging for AI matchmaking features. On Facebook Dating, which has more than 21.5 million daily users worldwide, users can use AI to write their profile intro and chat with an dating assistant for free.

People sit and talk to each other in a dimly lit room.

AI dating startups are popping up in California, New York and other states that could change the way people find a partner online.

The AI assistant can recommend people looking for a serious relationship, someone with common hobbies or even above a certain height or age. Roughly 1 million people use Facebook Dating’s AI assistant daily in the United States and Canada, Meta said.

Facebook Dating product manager Neha Kumar said AI can help combat “swipe fatigue” facing online dating users.

“You’re sifting through a bunch of profiles. It’s really hard to understand and find somebody that’s compatible for you based on your specific types of preferences,” she said. “We really wanted to think about leveraging AI to solve this growing pain point.”

Technology is also a double-edged sword. The rise of AI tools means people can use technology to easily manipulate photos and craft messages on dating apps that might make them seem much more attractive or charismatic than they are in person. Some people are even turning to AI chatbots for companionship.

“How do we maintain human authenticity and human connection through an AI world? I don’t have a perfect answer to that. I think we’re still figuring it out,” Kumar said.

Lansley, the online dating user, said apps do make dating more convenient but it’s much more interesting to meet people face-to-face. She worries people will rely too much on AI as a “crutch” to replace human intimacy or emotional judgment.

“Chemistry,” she said, “is always going to be analog.”

Tired of the same old dating apps like Bumble and Hinge, Marie Lansley tried talking to an artificial intelligence matchmaker.

For roughly 15 minutes, she chatted with an AI voice on the dating app Known, answering questions about her upbringing, personality, education, lessons from past relationships and whether she’s looking for a serious relationship or something more casual.

“Divorced at 36. Yea, you’re not here to waste time. The way you build your days matter,” the AI voice told her after Lansley replied she was looking for a serious relationship.

Weeks later, the San Francisco resident got a match along with a written summary of why the pair could be compatible. But the stranger wasn’t her type and she wasn’t keen on paying $15 to meet up.

Startups like Known are roping in new users by hosting in-person dating events in San Francisco.

“I want to be able to use AI to improve efficiency in dating and to help navigate a pretty frustrating dating landscape. But there are just some things that are so deeply human that AI technology cannot capture,” said Lansley, who has posted about her dating experience on social media.

Singles like Lansley are dipping their toes into the wacky world of AI dating but they’re also skeptical if it will make it easier to find love. Online dating is ripe for disruption, and tech companies big and small are turning to AI as a potential solution to find people better matches more quickly and help them improve their chances of landing a date.

For years, people have been frustrated and exhausted by the seemingly endless amount of swiping and small talk that go nowhere on dating apps. They’re turning to in-person options such as running clubs, pickleball and speed dating but finding the right partner is still tough.

Online dating remains a popular way people search for a partner but some are dumping the platforms. Tinder’s monthly active users in March dropped 7% year-over-year, though its parent company Match Group noted that the rate of decline has been slowing as it revamps the app.

West Hollywood-based Tinder, which has roughly 50 million monthly users, has been experimenting with using AI to analyze a user’s camera roll and recommend better matches.

Known, an AI dating app, has their branding plastered on a store front in San Francisco's Marina District.

Known, an AI dating app, has its branding plastered on a storefront in the Marina District in San Francisco.

Its rival Bumble — an app that initially stood out for having women message their matches first — saw its paying users drop 21% to 3.2 million in the first quarter this year compared to 2025. The company has been working on AI matchmaking and plans to ditch swiping in the last three months of the year in select markets.

Even dating services that have grown users such as West Hollywood-based Grindr, an app for the LGBTQ+ community, and Facebook Dating, which is included in the main social network, are also leveraging AI more.

And new AI dating startups are popping up in California, New York and other states that could change the way people find a partner online. Former Hinge co-founder and Chief Executive Justin McLeod is working on an AI dating app called Overtone, stating on its website that “AI, if used correctly, can help us invent an entirely new way for people to find their partners that is far more personal, far more efficient, and far more effective.”

Some of those startups started in the San Francisco Bay area, where AI dating apps are hosting parties, speed dating, coffee meet-ups and other in-person events to rope people into using their new service.

Singles attend a dating event hosted by startup Known in San Francisco.

Singles who downloaded the Known dating app mingle over drinks at Left Door, a cocktail lounge in San Francisco, on Thursday.

On one recent Thursday night, dating app startup Known hosted a dating event at a swanky San Francisco cocktail lounge for people who completed their matchmaking call on the app. The event’s description said attendees would be greeted with “champagne, caviar bumps, and a mysterious envelope” that reveals who the AI matchmaker paired them up with.

Known Chief Executive and co-founder Celeste Amadon, who dropped out of Stanford University to create the AI dating app, said Americans are spending more time alone at home as online services have made it more convenient to do everything from getting food delivered, online shop and date. Young people complain about traditional dating apps yet they’re also still on them.

“The more I understood today’s dating apps, the more clear it became that they have been for the better part of two decades now, designed, tweaked, redesigned, rebuilt, to not work,” she said.

1

A sign that reads, "I love my AI boyfriend" hangs in a San Francisco window.

2

Known, an AI dating app, has their branding plastered on a store front in the Marina District San Francisco

3

Celeste Amadon, CEO of Known, poses for a portrait.

1. A sign that reads, “I love my AI boyfriend” hangs in a San Francisco window. 2. Known, an AI-driven dating app, has their branding plastered on a store front in the Marina District in San Francisco. 3. Celeste Amadon, CEO of Known, poses for a portrait.

The company charges per date to ensure people show up but the startup also has a business incentive to find people a match they actually want to meet, she said. Known plans to expand to San Diego in July, she said. Amadon said she expects the AI matching technology to become more accurate over time.

Known hasn’t shared its user numbers or revenue figures. Founded in 2025, the startup launched the dating app in February and has raised roughly $10 million from investors such as Coelius Capital, Forerunner Ventures and NFX, according to PitchBook.

Grindr is learning more about how much users are willing to use and pay for AI features.

The company has been testing a subscription tier called “Edge” in Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Canada that includes AI tools that recap meaningful chats, display personalized profile recommendations and show users who they’re likely to match with.

Unlike other dating apps, Grindr users don’t swipe through profiles. The app displays a grid of people who are nearby that they’re able to chat with. Grindr has expanded beyond casual dating, allowing people to find friends, travel companions and others in the LGBTQ+ community.

Grindr’s Chief Product Officer AJ Balance said the company is still testing subscription pricing for Edge but some users are willing to pay $350 per month because they’re “seeing a lot of value” and saving time.

“We view AI and new paradigm shifts like it as opportunities to build great, new product experiences that haven’t been developed before,” he said. “Our approach is really to leverage AI, like we did with mobile, to facilitate better conversations, deeper connections, ultimately more success in dating in the real world.”

Other popular dating services aren’t charging for AI matchmaking features. On Facebook Dating, which has more than 21.5 million daily users worldwide, users can use AI to write their profile intro and chat with an dating assistant for free.

People sit and talk to each other in a dimly lit room.

AI dating startups are popping up in California, New York and other states that could change the way people find a partner online.

The AI assistant can recommend people looking for a serious relationship, someone with common hobbies or even above a certain height or age. Roughly 1 million people use Facebook Dating’s AI assistant daily in the United States and Canada, Meta said.

Facebook Dating product manager Neha Kumar said AI can help combat “swipe fatigue” facing online dating users.

“You’re sifting through a bunch of profiles. It’s really hard to understand and find somebody that’s compatible for you based on your specific types of preferences,” she said. “We really wanted to think about leveraging AI to solve this growing pain point.”

Technology is also a double-edged sword. The rise of AI tools means people can use technology to easily manipulate photos and craft messages on dating apps that might make them seem much more attractive or charismatic than they are in person. Some people are even turning to AI chatbots for companionship.

“How do we maintain human authenticity and human connection through an AI world? I don’t have a perfect answer to that. I think we’re still figuring it out,” Kumar said.

Lansley, the online dating user, said apps do make dating more convenient but it’s much more interesting to meet people face-to-face. She worries people will rely too much on AI as a “crutch” to replace human intimacy or emotional judgment.

“Chemistry,” she said, “is always going to be analog.”

Tired of the same old dating apps like Bumble and Hinge, Marie Lansley tried talking to an artificial intelligence matchmaker.

For roughly 15 minutes, she chatted with an AI voice on the dating app Known, answering questions about her upbringing, personality, education, lessons from past relationships and whether she’s looking for a serious relationship or something more casual.

“Divorced at 36. Yea, you’re not here to waste time. The way you build your days matter,” the AI voice told her after Lansley replied she was looking for a serious relationship.

Weeks later, the San Francisco resident got a match along with a written summary of why the pair could be compatible. But the stranger wasn’t her type and she wasn’t keen on paying $15 to meet up.

Startups like Known are roping in new users by hosting in-person dating events in San Francisco.

“I want to be able to use AI to improve efficiency in dating and to help navigate a pretty frustrating dating landscape. But there are just some things that are so deeply human that AI technology cannot capture,” said Lansley, who has posted about her dating experience on social media.

Singles like Lansley are dipping their toes into the wacky world of AI dating but they’re also skeptical if it will make it easier to find love. Online dating is ripe for disruption, and tech companies big and small are turning to AI as a potential solution to find people better matches more quickly and help them improve their chances of landing a date.

For years, people have been frustrated and exhausted by the seemingly endless amount of swiping and small talk that go nowhere on dating apps. They’re turning to in-person options such as running clubs, pickleball and speed dating but finding the right partner is still tough.

Online dating remains a popular way people search for a partner but some are dumping the platforms. Tinder’s monthly active users in March dropped 7% year-over-year, though its parent company Match Group noted that the rate of decline has been slowing as it revamps the app.

West Hollywood-based Tinder, which has roughly 50 million monthly users, has been experimenting with using AI to analyze a user’s camera roll and recommend better matches.

Known, an AI dating app, has their branding plastered on a store front in San Francisco's Marina District.

Known, an AI dating app, has its branding plastered on a storefront in the Marina District in San Francisco.

Its rival Bumble — an app that initially stood out for having women message their matches first — saw its paying users drop 21% to 3.2 million in the first quarter this year compared to 2025. The company has been working on AI matchmaking and plans to ditch swiping in the last three months of the year in select markets.

Even dating services that have grown users such as West Hollywood-based Grindr, an app for the LGBTQ+ community, and Facebook Dating, which is included in the main social network, are also leveraging AI more.

And new AI dating startups are popping up in California, New York and other states that could change the way people find a partner online. Former Hinge co-founder and Chief Executive Justin McLeod is working on an AI dating app called Overtone, stating on its website that “AI, if used correctly, can help us invent an entirely new way for people to find their partners that is far more personal, far more efficient, and far more effective.”

Some of those startups started in the San Francisco Bay area, where AI dating apps are hosting parties, speed dating, coffee meet-ups and other in-person events to rope people into using their new service.

Singles attend a dating event hosted by startup Known in San Francisco.

Singles who downloaded the Known dating app mingle over drinks at Left Door, a cocktail lounge in San Francisco, on Thursday.

On one recent Thursday night, dating app startup Known hosted a dating event at a swanky San Francisco cocktail lounge for people who completed their matchmaking call on the app. The event’s description said attendees would be greeted with “champagne, caviar bumps, and a mysterious envelope” that reveals who the AI matchmaker paired them up with.

Known Chief Executive and co-founder Celeste Amadon, who dropped out of Stanford University to create the AI dating app, said Americans are spending more time alone at home as online services have made it more convenient to do everything from getting food delivered, online shop and date. Young people complain about traditional dating apps yet they’re also still on them.

“The more I understood today’s dating apps, the more clear it became that they have been for the better part of two decades now, designed, tweaked, redesigned, rebuilt, to not work,” she said.

1

A sign that reads, "I love my AI boyfriend" hangs in a San Francisco window.

2

Known, an AI dating app, has their branding plastered on a store front in the Marina District San Francisco

3

Celeste Amadon, CEO of Known, poses for a portrait.

1. A sign that reads, “I love my AI boyfriend” hangs in a San Francisco window. 2. Known, an AI-driven dating app, has their branding plastered on a store front in the Marina District in San Francisco. 3. Celeste Amadon, CEO of Known, poses for a portrait.

The company charges per date to ensure people show up but the startup also has a business incentive to find people a match they actually want to meet, she said. Known plans to expand to San Diego in July, she said. Amadon said she expects the AI matching technology to become more accurate over time.

Known hasn’t shared its user numbers or revenue figures. Founded in 2025, the startup launched the dating app in February and has raised roughly $10 million from investors such as Coelius Capital, Forerunner Ventures and NFX, according to PitchBook.

Grindr is learning more about how much users are willing to use and pay for AI features.

The company has been testing a subscription tier called “Edge” in Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Canada that includes AI tools that recap meaningful chats, display personalized profile recommendations and show users who they’re likely to match with.

Unlike other dating apps, Grindr users don’t swipe through profiles. The app displays a grid of people who are nearby that they’re able to chat with. Grindr has expanded beyond casual dating, allowing people to find friends, travel companions and others in the LGBTQ+ community.

Grindr’s Chief Product Officer AJ Balance said the company is still testing subscription pricing for Edge but some users are willing to pay $350 per month because they’re “seeing a lot of value” and saving time.

“We view AI and new paradigm shifts like it as opportunities to build great, new product experiences that haven’t been developed before,” he said. “Our approach is really to leverage AI, like we did with mobile, to facilitate better conversations, deeper connections, ultimately more success in dating in the real world.”

Other popular dating services aren’t charging for AI matchmaking features. On Facebook Dating, which has more than 21.5 million daily users worldwide, users can use AI to write their profile intro and chat with an dating assistant for free.

People sit and talk to each other in a dimly lit room.

AI dating startups are popping up in California, New York and other states that could change the way people find a partner online.

The AI assistant can recommend people looking for a serious relationship, someone with common hobbies or even above a certain height or age. Roughly 1 million people use Facebook Dating’s AI assistant daily in the United States and Canada, Meta said.

Facebook Dating product manager Neha Kumar said AI can help combat “swipe fatigue” facing online dating users.

“You’re sifting through a bunch of profiles. It’s really hard to understand and find somebody that’s compatible for you based on your specific types of preferences,” she said. “We really wanted to think about leveraging AI to solve this growing pain point.”

Technology is also a double-edged sword. The rise of AI tools means people can use technology to easily manipulate photos and craft messages on dating apps that might make them seem much more attractive or charismatic than they are in person. Some people are even turning to AI chatbots for companionship.

“How do we maintain human authenticity and human connection through an AI world? I don’t have a perfect answer to that. I think we’re still figuring it out,” Kumar said.

Lansley, the online dating user, said apps do make dating more convenient but it’s much more interesting to meet people face-to-face. She worries people will rely too much on AI as a “crutch” to replace human intimacy or emotional judgment.

“Chemistry,” she said, “is always going to be analog.”

Tired of the same old dating apps like Bumble and Hinge, Marie Lansley tried talking to an artificial intelligence matchmaker.

For roughly 15 minutes, she chatted with an AI voice on the dating app Known, answering questions about her upbringing, personality, education, lessons from past relationships and whether she’s looking for a serious relationship or something more casual.

“Divorced at 36. Yea, you’re not here to waste time. The way you build your days matter,” the AI voice told her after Lansley replied she was looking for a serious relationship.

Weeks later, the San Francisco resident got a match along with a written summary of why the pair could be compatible. But the stranger wasn’t her type and she wasn’t keen on paying $15 to meet up.

Startups like Known are roping in new users by hosting in-person dating events in San Francisco.

“I want to be able to use AI to improve efficiency in dating and to help navigate a pretty frustrating dating landscape. But there are just some things that are so deeply human that AI technology cannot capture,” said Lansley, who has posted about her dating experience on social media.

Singles like Lansley are dipping their toes into the wacky world of AI dating but they’re also skeptical if it will make it easier to find love. Online dating is ripe for disruption, and tech companies big and small are turning to AI as a potential solution to find people better matches more quickly and help them improve their chances of landing a date.

For years, people have been frustrated and exhausted by the seemingly endless amount of swiping and small talk that go nowhere on dating apps. They’re turning to in-person options such as running clubs, pickleball and speed dating but finding the right partner is still tough.

Online dating remains a popular way people search for a partner but some are dumping the platforms. Tinder’s monthly active users in March dropped 7% year-over-year, though its parent company Match Group noted that the rate of decline has been slowing as it revamps the app.

West Hollywood-based Tinder, which has roughly 50 million monthly users, has been experimenting with using AI to analyze a user’s camera roll and recommend better matches.

Known, an AI dating app, has their branding plastered on a store front in San Francisco's Marina District.

Known, an AI dating app, has its branding plastered on a storefront in the Marina District in San Francisco.

Its rival Bumble — an app that initially stood out for having women message their matches first — saw its paying users drop 21% to 3.2 million in the first quarter this year compared to 2025. The company has been working on AI matchmaking and plans to ditch swiping in the last three months of the year in select markets.

Even dating services that have grown users such as West Hollywood-based Grindr, an app for the LGBTQ+ community, and Facebook Dating, which is included in the main social network, are also leveraging AI more.

And new AI dating startups are popping up in California, New York and other states that could change the way people find a partner online. Former Hinge co-founder and Chief Executive Justin McLeod is working on an AI dating app called Overtone, stating on its website that “AI, if used correctly, can help us invent an entirely new way for people to find their partners that is far more personal, far more efficient, and far more effective.”

Some of those startups started in the San Francisco Bay area, where AI dating apps are hosting parties, speed dating, coffee meet-ups and other in-person events to rope people into using their new service.

Singles attend a dating event hosted by startup Known in San Francisco.

Singles who downloaded the Known dating app mingle over drinks at Left Door, a cocktail lounge in San Francisco, on Thursday.

On one recent Thursday night, dating app startup Known hosted a dating event at a swanky San Francisco cocktail lounge for people who completed their matchmaking call on the app. The event’s description said attendees would be greeted with “champagne, caviar bumps, and a mysterious envelope” that reveals who the AI matchmaker paired them up with.

Known Chief Executive and co-founder Celeste Amadon, who dropped out of Stanford University to create the AI dating app, said Americans are spending more time alone at home as online services have made it more convenient to do everything from getting food delivered, online shop and date. Young people complain about traditional dating apps yet they’re also still on them.

“The more I understood today’s dating apps, the more clear it became that they have been for the better part of two decades now, designed, tweaked, redesigned, rebuilt, to not work,” she said.

1

A sign that reads, "I love my AI boyfriend" hangs in a San Francisco window.

2

Known, an AI dating app, has their branding plastered on a store front in the Marina District San Francisco

3

Celeste Amadon, CEO of Known, poses for a portrait.

1. A sign that reads, “I love my AI boyfriend” hangs in a San Francisco window. 2. Known, an AI-driven dating app, has their branding plastered on a store front in the Marina District in San Francisco. 3. Celeste Amadon, CEO of Known, poses for a portrait.

The company charges per date to ensure people show up but the startup also has a business incentive to find people a match they actually want to meet, she said. Known plans to expand to San Diego in July, she said. Amadon said she expects the AI matching technology to become more accurate over time.

Known hasn’t shared its user numbers or revenue figures. Founded in 2025, the startup launched the dating app in February and has raised roughly $10 million from investors such as Coelius Capital, Forerunner Ventures and NFX, according to PitchBook.

Grindr is learning more about how much users are willing to use and pay for AI features.

The company has been testing a subscription tier called “Edge” in Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Canada that includes AI tools that recap meaningful chats, display personalized profile recommendations and show users who they’re likely to match with.

Unlike other dating apps, Grindr users don’t swipe through profiles. The app displays a grid of people who are nearby that they’re able to chat with. Grindr has expanded beyond casual dating, allowing people to find friends, travel companions and others in the LGBTQ+ community.

Grindr’s Chief Product Officer AJ Balance said the company is still testing subscription pricing for Edge but some users are willing to pay $350 per month because they’re “seeing a lot of value” and saving time.

“We view AI and new paradigm shifts like it as opportunities to build great, new product experiences that haven’t been developed before,” he said. “Our approach is really to leverage AI, like we did with mobile, to facilitate better conversations, deeper connections, ultimately more success in dating in the real world.”

Other popular dating services aren’t charging for AI matchmaking features. On Facebook Dating, which has more than 21.5 million daily users worldwide, users can use AI to write their profile intro and chat with an dating assistant for free.

People sit and talk to each other in a dimly lit room.

AI dating startups are popping up in California, New York and other states that could change the way people find a partner online.

The AI assistant can recommend people looking for a serious relationship, someone with common hobbies or even above a certain height or age. Roughly 1 million people use Facebook Dating’s AI assistant daily in the United States and Canada, Meta said.

Facebook Dating product manager Neha Kumar said AI can help combat “swipe fatigue” facing online dating users.

“You’re sifting through a bunch of profiles. It’s really hard to understand and find somebody that’s compatible for you based on your specific types of preferences,” she said. “We really wanted to think about leveraging AI to solve this growing pain point.”

Technology is also a double-edged sword. The rise of AI tools means people can use technology to easily manipulate photos and craft messages on dating apps that might make them seem much more attractive or charismatic than they are in person. Some people are even turning to AI chatbots for companionship.

“How do we maintain human authenticity and human connection through an AI world? I don’t have a perfect answer to that. I think we’re still figuring it out,” Kumar said.

Lansley, the online dating user, said apps do make dating more convenient but it’s much more interesting to meet people face-to-face. She worries people will rely too much on AI as a “crutch” to replace human intimacy or emotional judgment.

“Chemistry,” she said, “is always going to be analog.”

Tired of the same old dating apps like Bumble and Hinge, Marie Lansley tried talking to an artificial intelligence matchmaker.

For roughly 15 minutes, she chatted with an AI voice on the dating app Known, answering questions about her upbringing, personality, education, lessons from past relationships and whether she’s looking for a serious relationship or something more casual.

“Divorced at 36. Yea, you’re not here to waste time. The way you build your days matter,” the AI voice told her after Lansley replied she was looking for a serious relationship.

Weeks later, the San Francisco resident got a match along with a written summary of why the pair could be compatible. But the stranger wasn’t her type and she wasn’t keen on paying $15 to meet up.

Startups like Known are roping in new users by hosting in-person dating events in San Francisco.

“I want to be able to use AI to improve efficiency in dating and to help navigate a pretty frustrating dating landscape. But there are just some things that are so deeply human that AI technology cannot capture,” said Lansley, who has posted about her dating experience on social media.

Singles like Lansley are dipping their toes into the wacky world of AI dating but they’re also skeptical if it will make it easier to find love. Online dating is ripe for disruption, and tech companies big and small are turning to AI as a potential solution to find people better matches more quickly and help them improve their chances of landing a date.

For years, people have been frustrated and exhausted by the seemingly endless amount of swiping and small talk that go nowhere on dating apps. They’re turning to in-person options such as running clubs, pickleball and speed dating but finding the right partner is still tough.

Online dating remains a popular way people search for a partner but some are dumping the platforms. Tinder’s monthly active users in March dropped 7% year-over-year, though its parent company Match Group noted that the rate of decline has been slowing as it revamps the app.

West Hollywood-based Tinder, which has roughly 50 million monthly users, has been experimenting with using AI to analyze a user’s camera roll and recommend better matches.

Known, an AI dating app, has their branding plastered on a store front in San Francisco's Marina District.

Known, an AI dating app, has its branding plastered on a storefront in the Marina District in San Francisco.

Its rival Bumble — an app that initially stood out for having women message their matches first — saw its paying users drop 21% to 3.2 million in the first quarter this year compared to 2025. The company has been working on AI matchmaking and plans to ditch swiping in the last three months of the year in select markets.

Even dating services that have grown users such as West Hollywood-based Grindr, an app for the LGBTQ+ community, and Facebook Dating, which is included in the main social network, are also leveraging AI more.

And new AI dating startups are popping up in California, New York and other states that could change the way people find a partner online. Former Hinge co-founder and Chief Executive Justin McLeod is working on an AI dating app called Overtone, stating on its website that “AI, if used correctly, can help us invent an entirely new way for people to find their partners that is far more personal, far more efficient, and far more effective.”

Some of those startups started in the San Francisco Bay area, where AI dating apps are hosting parties, speed dating, coffee meet-ups and other in-person events to rope people into using their new service.

Singles attend a dating event hosted by startup Known in San Francisco.

Singles who downloaded the Known dating app mingle over drinks at Left Door, a cocktail lounge in San Francisco, on Thursday.

On one recent Thursday night, dating app startup Known hosted a dating event at a swanky San Francisco cocktail lounge for people who completed their matchmaking call on the app. The event’s description said attendees would be greeted with “champagne, caviar bumps, and a mysterious envelope” that reveals who the AI matchmaker paired them up with.

Known Chief Executive and co-founder Celeste Amadon, who dropped out of Stanford University to create the AI dating app, said Americans are spending more time alone at home as online services have made it more convenient to do everything from getting food delivered, online shop and date. Young people complain about traditional dating apps yet they’re also still on them.

“The more I understood today’s dating apps, the more clear it became that they have been for the better part of two decades now, designed, tweaked, redesigned, rebuilt, to not work,” she said.

1

A sign that reads, "I love my AI boyfriend" hangs in a San Francisco window.

2

Known, an AI dating app, has their branding plastered on a store front in the Marina District San Francisco

3

Celeste Amadon, CEO of Known, poses for a portrait.

1. A sign that reads, “I love my AI boyfriend” hangs in a San Francisco window. 2. Known, an AI-driven dating app, has their branding plastered on a store front in the Marina District in San Francisco. 3. Celeste Amadon, CEO of Known, poses for a portrait.

The company charges per date to ensure people show up but the startup also has a business incentive to find people a match they actually want to meet, she said. Known plans to expand to San Diego in July, she said. Amadon said she expects the AI matching technology to become more accurate over time.

Known hasn’t shared its user numbers or revenue figures. Founded in 2025, the startup launched the dating app in February and has raised roughly $10 million from investors such as Coelius Capital, Forerunner Ventures and NFX, according to PitchBook.

Grindr is learning more about how much users are willing to use and pay for AI features.

The company has been testing a subscription tier called “Edge” in Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Canada that includes AI tools that recap meaningful chats, display personalized profile recommendations and show users who they’re likely to match with.

Unlike other dating apps, Grindr users don’t swipe through profiles. The app displays a grid of people who are nearby that they’re able to chat with. Grindr has expanded beyond casual dating, allowing people to find friends, travel companions and others in the LGBTQ+ community.

Grindr’s Chief Product Officer AJ Balance said the company is still testing subscription pricing for Edge but some users are willing to pay $350 per month because they’re “seeing a lot of value” and saving time.

“We view AI and new paradigm shifts like it as opportunities to build great, new product experiences that haven’t been developed before,” he said. “Our approach is really to leverage AI, like we did with mobile, to facilitate better conversations, deeper connections, ultimately more success in dating in the real world.”

Other popular dating services aren’t charging for AI matchmaking features. On Facebook Dating, which has more than 21.5 million daily users worldwide, users can use AI to write their profile intro and chat with an dating assistant for free.

People sit and talk to each other in a dimly lit room.

AI dating startups are popping up in California, New York and other states that could change the way people find a partner online.

The AI assistant can recommend people looking for a serious relationship, someone with common hobbies or even above a certain height or age. Roughly 1 million people use Facebook Dating’s AI assistant daily in the United States and Canada, Meta said.

Facebook Dating product manager Neha Kumar said AI can help combat “swipe fatigue” facing online dating users.

“You’re sifting through a bunch of profiles. It’s really hard to understand and find somebody that’s compatible for you based on your specific types of preferences,” she said. “We really wanted to think about leveraging AI to solve this growing pain point.”

Technology is also a double-edged sword. The rise of AI tools means people can use technology to easily manipulate photos and craft messages on dating apps that might make them seem much more attractive or charismatic than they are in person. Some people are even turning to AI chatbots for companionship.

“How do we maintain human authenticity and human connection through an AI world? I don’t have a perfect answer to that. I think we’re still figuring it out,” Kumar said.

Lansley, the online dating user, said apps do make dating more convenient but it’s much more interesting to meet people face-to-face. She worries people will rely too much on AI as a “crutch” to replace human intimacy or emotional judgment.

“Chemistry,” she said, “is always going to be analog.”

Tired of the same old dating apps like Bumble and Hinge, Marie Lansley tried talking to an artificial intelligence matchmaker.

For roughly 15 minutes, she chatted with an AI voice on the dating app Known, answering questions about her upbringing, personality, education, lessons from past relationships and whether she’s looking for a serious relationship or something more casual.

“Divorced at 36. Yea, you’re not here to waste time. The way you build your days matter,” the AI voice told her after Lansley replied she was looking for a serious relationship.

Weeks later, the San Francisco resident got a match along with a written summary of why the pair could be compatible. But the stranger wasn’t her type and she wasn’t keen on paying $15 to meet up.

Startups like Known are roping in new users by hosting in-person dating events in San Francisco.

“I want to be able to use AI to improve efficiency in dating and to help navigate a pretty frustrating dating landscape. But there are just some things that are so deeply human that AI technology cannot capture,” said Lansley, who has posted about her dating experience on social media.

Singles like Lansley are dipping their toes into the wacky world of AI dating but they’re also skeptical if it will make it easier to find love. Online dating is ripe for disruption, and tech companies big and small are turning to AI as a potential solution to find people better matches more quickly and help them improve their chances of landing a date.

For years, people have been frustrated and exhausted by the seemingly endless amount of swiping and small talk that go nowhere on dating apps. They’re turning to in-person options such as running clubs, pickleball and speed dating but finding the right partner is still tough.

Online dating remains a popular way people search for a partner but some are dumping the platforms. Tinder’s monthly active users in March dropped 7% year-over-year, though its parent company Match Group noted that the rate of decline has been slowing as it revamps the app.

West Hollywood-based Tinder, which has roughly 50 million monthly users, has been experimenting with using AI to analyze a user’s camera roll and recommend better matches.

Known, an AI dating app, has their branding plastered on a store front in San Francisco's Marina District.

Known, an AI dating app, has its branding plastered on a storefront in the Marina District in San Francisco.

Its rival Bumble — an app that initially stood out for having women message their matches first — saw its paying users drop 21% to 3.2 million in the first quarter this year compared to 2025. The company has been working on AI matchmaking and plans to ditch swiping in the last three months of the year in select markets.

Even dating services that have grown users such as West Hollywood-based Grindr, an app for the LGBTQ+ community, and Facebook Dating, which is included in the main social network, are also leveraging AI more.

And new AI dating startups are popping up in California, New York and other states that could change the way people find a partner online. Former Hinge co-founder and Chief Executive Justin McLeod is working on an AI dating app called Overtone, stating on its website that “AI, if used correctly, can help us invent an entirely new way for people to find their partners that is far more personal, far more efficient, and far more effective.”

Some of those startups started in the San Francisco Bay area, where AI dating apps are hosting parties, speed dating, coffee meet-ups and other in-person events to rope people into using their new service.

Singles attend a dating event hosted by startup Known in San Francisco.

Singles who downloaded the Known dating app mingle over drinks at Left Door, a cocktail lounge in San Francisco, on Thursday.

On one recent Thursday night, dating app startup Known hosted a dating event at a swanky San Francisco cocktail lounge for people who completed their matchmaking call on the app. The event’s description said attendees would be greeted with “champagne, caviar bumps, and a mysterious envelope” that reveals who the AI matchmaker paired them up with.

Known Chief Executive and co-founder Celeste Amadon, who dropped out of Stanford University to create the AI dating app, said Americans are spending more time alone at home as online services have made it more convenient to do everything from getting food delivered, online shop and date. Young people complain about traditional dating apps yet they’re also still on them.

“The more I understood today’s dating apps, the more clear it became that they have been for the better part of two decades now, designed, tweaked, redesigned, rebuilt, to not work,” she said.

1

A sign that reads, "I love my AI boyfriend" hangs in a San Francisco window.

2

Known, an AI dating app, has their branding plastered on a store front in the Marina District San Francisco

3

Celeste Amadon, CEO of Known, poses for a portrait.

1. A sign that reads, “I love my AI boyfriend” hangs in a San Francisco window. 2. Known, an AI-driven dating app, has their branding plastered on a store front in the Marina District in San Francisco. 3. Celeste Amadon, CEO of Known, poses for a portrait.

The company charges per date to ensure people show up but the startup also has a business incentive to find people a match they actually want to meet, she said. Known plans to expand to San Diego in July, she said. Amadon said she expects the AI matching technology to become more accurate over time.

Known hasn’t shared its user numbers or revenue figures. Founded in 2025, the startup launched the dating app in February and has raised roughly $10 million from investors such as Coelius Capital, Forerunner Ventures and NFX, according to PitchBook.

Grindr is learning more about how much users are willing to use and pay for AI features.

The company has been testing a subscription tier called “Edge” in Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Canada that includes AI tools that recap meaningful chats, display personalized profile recommendations and show users who they’re likely to match with.

Unlike other dating apps, Grindr users don’t swipe through profiles. The app displays a grid of people who are nearby that they’re able to chat with. Grindr has expanded beyond casual dating, allowing people to find friends, travel companions and others in the LGBTQ+ community.

Grindr’s Chief Product Officer AJ Balance said the company is still testing subscription pricing for Edge but some users are willing to pay $350 per month because they’re “seeing a lot of value” and saving time.

“We view AI and new paradigm shifts like it as opportunities to build great, new product experiences that haven’t been developed before,” he said. “Our approach is really to leverage AI, like we did with mobile, to facilitate better conversations, deeper connections, ultimately more success in dating in the real world.”

Other popular dating services aren’t charging for AI matchmaking features. On Facebook Dating, which has more than 21.5 million daily users worldwide, users can use AI to write their profile intro and chat with an dating assistant for free.

People sit and talk to each other in a dimly lit room.

AI dating startups are popping up in California, New York and other states that could change the way people find a partner online.

The AI assistant can recommend people looking for a serious relationship, someone with common hobbies or even above a certain height or age. Roughly 1 million people use Facebook Dating’s AI assistant daily in the United States and Canada, Meta said.

Facebook Dating product manager Neha Kumar said AI can help combat “swipe fatigue” facing online dating users.

“You’re sifting through a bunch of profiles. It’s really hard to understand and find somebody that’s compatible for you based on your specific types of preferences,” she said. “We really wanted to think about leveraging AI to solve this growing pain point.”

Technology is also a double-edged sword. The rise of AI tools means people can use technology to easily manipulate photos and craft messages on dating apps that might make them seem much more attractive or charismatic than they are in person. Some people are even turning to AI chatbots for companionship.

“How do we maintain human authenticity and human connection through an AI world? I don’t have a perfect answer to that. I think we’re still figuring it out,” Kumar said.

Lansley, the online dating user, said apps do make dating more convenient but it’s much more interesting to meet people face-to-face. She worries people will rely too much on AI as a “crutch” to replace human intimacy or emotional judgment.

“Chemistry,” she said, “is always going to be analog.”

Tired of the same old dating apps like Bumble and Hinge, Marie Lansley tried talking to an artificial intelligence matchmaker.

For roughly 15 minutes, she chatted with an AI voice on the dating app Known, answering questions about her upbringing, personality, education, lessons from past relationships and whether she’s looking for a serious relationship or something more casual.

“Divorced at 36. Yea, you’re not here to waste time. The way you build your days matter,” the AI voice told her after Lansley replied she was looking for a serious relationship.

Weeks later, the San Francisco resident got a match along with a written summary of why the pair could be compatible. But the stranger wasn’t her type and she wasn’t keen on paying $15 to meet up.

Startups like Known are roping in new users by hosting in-person dating events in San Francisco.

“I want to be able to use AI to improve efficiency in dating and to help navigate a pretty frustrating dating landscape. But there are just some things that are so deeply human that AI technology cannot capture,” said Lansley, who has posted about her dating experience on social media.

Singles like Lansley are dipping their toes into the wacky world of AI dating but they’re also skeptical if it will make it easier to find love. Online dating is ripe for disruption, and tech companies big and small are turning to AI as a potential solution to find people better matches more quickly and help them improve their chances of landing a date.

For years, people have been frustrated and exhausted by the seemingly endless amount of swiping and small talk that go nowhere on dating apps. They’re turning to in-person options such as running clubs, pickleball and speed dating but finding the right partner is still tough.

Online dating remains a popular way people search for a partner but some are dumping the platforms. Tinder’s monthly active users in March dropped 7% year-over-year, though its parent company Match Group noted that the rate of decline has been slowing as it revamps the app.

West Hollywood-based Tinder, which has roughly 50 million monthly users, has been experimenting with using AI to analyze a user’s camera roll and recommend better matches.

Known, an AI dating app, has their branding plastered on a store front in San Francisco's Marina District.

Known, an AI dating app, has its branding plastered on a storefront in the Marina District in San Francisco.

Its rival Bumble — an app that initially stood out for having women message their matches first — saw its paying users drop 21% to 3.2 million in the first quarter this year compared to 2025. The company has been working on AI matchmaking and plans to ditch swiping in the last three months of the year in select markets.

Even dating services that have grown users such as West Hollywood-based Grindr, an app for the LGBTQ+ community, and Facebook Dating, which is included in the main social network, are also leveraging AI more.

And new AI dating startups are popping up in California, New York and other states that could change the way people find a partner online. Former Hinge co-founder and Chief Executive Justin McLeod is working on an AI dating app called Overtone, stating on its website that “AI, if used correctly, can help us invent an entirely new way for people to find their partners that is far more personal, far more efficient, and far more effective.”

Some of those startups started in the San Francisco Bay area, where AI dating apps are hosting parties, speed dating, coffee meet-ups and other in-person events to rope people into using their new service.

Singles attend a dating event hosted by startup Known in San Francisco.

Singles who downloaded the Known dating app mingle over drinks at Left Door, a cocktail lounge in San Francisco, on Thursday.

On one recent Thursday night, dating app startup Known hosted a dating event at a swanky San Francisco cocktail lounge for people who completed their matchmaking call on the app. The event’s description said attendees would be greeted with “champagne, caviar bumps, and a mysterious envelope” that reveals who the AI matchmaker paired them up with.

Known Chief Executive and co-founder Celeste Amadon, who dropped out of Stanford University to create the AI dating app, said Americans are spending more time alone at home as online services have made it more convenient to do everything from getting food delivered, online shop and date. Young people complain about traditional dating apps yet they’re also still on them.

“The more I understood today’s dating apps, the more clear it became that they have been for the better part of two decades now, designed, tweaked, redesigned, rebuilt, to not work,” she said.

1

A sign that reads, "I love my AI boyfriend" hangs in a San Francisco window.

2

Known, an AI dating app, has their branding plastered on a store front in the Marina District San Francisco

3

Celeste Amadon, CEO of Known, poses for a portrait.

1. A sign that reads, “I love my AI boyfriend” hangs in a San Francisco window. 2. Known, an AI-driven dating app, has their branding plastered on a store front in the Marina District in San Francisco. 3. Celeste Amadon, CEO of Known, poses for a portrait.

The company charges per date to ensure people show up but the startup also has a business incentive to find people a match they actually want to meet, she said. Known plans to expand to San Diego in July, she said. Amadon said she expects the AI matching technology to become more accurate over time.

Known hasn’t shared its user numbers or revenue figures. Founded in 2025, the startup launched the dating app in February and has raised roughly $10 million from investors such as Coelius Capital, Forerunner Ventures and NFX, according to PitchBook.

Grindr is learning more about how much users are willing to use and pay for AI features.

The company has been testing a subscription tier called “Edge” in Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Canada that includes AI tools that recap meaningful chats, display personalized profile recommendations and show users who they’re likely to match with.

Unlike other dating apps, Grindr users don’t swipe through profiles. The app displays a grid of people who are nearby that they’re able to chat with. Grindr has expanded beyond casual dating, allowing people to find friends, travel companions and others in the LGBTQ+ community.

Grindr’s Chief Product Officer AJ Balance said the company is still testing subscription pricing for Edge but some users are willing to pay $350 per month because they’re “seeing a lot of value” and saving time.

“We view AI and new paradigm shifts like it as opportunities to build great, new product experiences that haven’t been developed before,” he said. “Our approach is really to leverage AI, like we did with mobile, to facilitate better conversations, deeper connections, ultimately more success in dating in the real world.”

Other popular dating services aren’t charging for AI matchmaking features. On Facebook Dating, which has more than 21.5 million daily users worldwide, users can use AI to write their profile intro and chat with an dating assistant for free.

People sit and talk to each other in a dimly lit room.

AI dating startups are popping up in California, New York and other states that could change the way people find a partner online.

The AI assistant can recommend people looking for a serious relationship, someone with common hobbies or even above a certain height or age. Roughly 1 million people use Facebook Dating’s AI assistant daily in the United States and Canada, Meta said.

Facebook Dating product manager Neha Kumar said AI can help combat “swipe fatigue” facing online dating users.

“You’re sifting through a bunch of profiles. It’s really hard to understand and find somebody that’s compatible for you based on your specific types of preferences,” she said. “We really wanted to think about leveraging AI to solve this growing pain point.”

Technology is also a double-edged sword. The rise of AI tools means people can use technology to easily manipulate photos and craft messages on dating apps that might make them seem much more attractive or charismatic than they are in person. Some people are even turning to AI chatbots for companionship.

“How do we maintain human authenticity and human connection through an AI world? I don’t have a perfect answer to that. I think we’re still figuring it out,” Kumar said.

Lansley, the online dating user, said apps do make dating more convenient but it’s much more interesting to meet people face-to-face. She worries people will rely too much on AI as a “crutch” to replace human intimacy or emotional judgment.

“Chemistry,” she said, “is always going to be analog.”

Tired of the same old dating apps like Bumble and Hinge, Marie Lansley tried talking to an artificial intelligence matchmaker.

For roughly 15 minutes, she chatted with an AI voice on the dating app Known, answering questions about her upbringing, personality, education, lessons from past relationships and whether she’s looking for a serious relationship or something more casual.

“Divorced at 36. Yea, you’re not here to waste time. The way you build your days matter,” the AI voice told her after Lansley replied she was looking for a serious relationship.

Weeks later, the San Francisco resident got a match along with a written summary of why the pair could be compatible. But the stranger wasn’t her type and she wasn’t keen on paying $15 to meet up.

Startups like Known are roping in new users by hosting in-person dating events in San Francisco.

“I want to be able to use AI to improve efficiency in dating and to help navigate a pretty frustrating dating landscape. But there are just some things that are so deeply human that AI technology cannot capture,” said Lansley, who has posted about her dating experience on social media.

Singles like Lansley are dipping their toes into the wacky world of AI dating but they’re also skeptical if it will make it easier to find love. Online dating is ripe for disruption, and tech companies big and small are turning to AI as a potential solution to find people better matches more quickly and help them improve their chances of landing a date.

For years, people have been frustrated and exhausted by the seemingly endless amount of swiping and small talk that go nowhere on dating apps. They’re turning to in-person options such as running clubs, pickleball and speed dating but finding the right partner is still tough.

Online dating remains a popular way people search for a partner but some are dumping the platforms. Tinder’s monthly active users in March dropped 7% year-over-year, though its parent company Match Group noted that the rate of decline has been slowing as it revamps the app.

West Hollywood-based Tinder, which has roughly 50 million monthly users, has been experimenting with using AI to analyze a user’s camera roll and recommend better matches.

Known, an AI dating app, has their branding plastered on a store front in San Francisco's Marina District.

Known, an AI dating app, has its branding plastered on a storefront in the Marina District in San Francisco.

Its rival Bumble — an app that initially stood out for having women message their matches first — saw its paying users drop 21% to 3.2 million in the first quarter this year compared to 2025. The company has been working on AI matchmaking and plans to ditch swiping in the last three months of the year in select markets.

Even dating services that have grown users such as West Hollywood-based Grindr, an app for the LGBTQ+ community, and Facebook Dating, which is included in the main social network, are also leveraging AI more.

And new AI dating startups are popping up in California, New York and other states that could change the way people find a partner online. Former Hinge co-founder and Chief Executive Justin McLeod is working on an AI dating app called Overtone, stating on its website that “AI, if used correctly, can help us invent an entirely new way for people to find their partners that is far more personal, far more efficient, and far more effective.”

Some of those startups started in the San Francisco Bay area, where AI dating apps are hosting parties, speed dating, coffee meet-ups and other in-person events to rope people into using their new service.

Singles attend a dating event hosted by startup Known in San Francisco.

Singles who downloaded the Known dating app mingle over drinks at Left Door, a cocktail lounge in San Francisco, on Thursday.

On one recent Thursday night, dating app startup Known hosted a dating event at a swanky San Francisco cocktail lounge for people who completed their matchmaking call on the app. The event’s description said attendees would be greeted with “champagne, caviar bumps, and a mysterious envelope” that reveals who the AI matchmaker paired them up with.

Known Chief Executive and co-founder Celeste Amadon, who dropped out of Stanford University to create the AI dating app, said Americans are spending more time alone at home as online services have made it more convenient to do everything from getting food delivered, online shop and date. Young people complain about traditional dating apps yet they’re also still on them.

“The more I understood today’s dating apps, the more clear it became that they have been for the better part of two decades now, designed, tweaked, redesigned, rebuilt, to not work,” she said.

1

A sign that reads, "I love my AI boyfriend" hangs in a San Francisco window.

2

Known, an AI dating app, has their branding plastered on a store front in the Marina District San Francisco

3

Celeste Amadon, CEO of Known, poses for a portrait.

1. A sign that reads, “I love my AI boyfriend” hangs in a San Francisco window. 2. Known, an AI-driven dating app, has their branding plastered on a store front in the Marina District in San Francisco. 3. Celeste Amadon, CEO of Known, poses for a portrait.

The company charges per date to ensure people show up but the startup also has a business incentive to find people a match they actually want to meet, she said. Known plans to expand to San Diego in July, she said. Amadon said she expects the AI matching technology to become more accurate over time.

Known hasn’t shared its user numbers or revenue figures. Founded in 2025, the startup launched the dating app in February and has raised roughly $10 million from investors such as Coelius Capital, Forerunner Ventures and NFX, according to PitchBook.

Grindr is learning more about how much users are willing to use and pay for AI features.

The company has been testing a subscription tier called “Edge” in Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Canada that includes AI tools that recap meaningful chats, display personalized profile recommendations and show users who they’re likely to match with.

Unlike other dating apps, Grindr users don’t swipe through profiles. The app displays a grid of people who are nearby that they’re able to chat with. Grindr has expanded beyond casual dating, allowing people to find friends, travel companions and others in the LGBTQ+ community.

Grindr’s Chief Product Officer AJ Balance said the company is still testing subscription pricing for Edge but some users are willing to pay $350 per month because they’re “seeing a lot of value” and saving time.

“We view AI and new paradigm shifts like it as opportunities to build great, new product experiences that haven’t been developed before,” he said. “Our approach is really to leverage AI, like we did with mobile, to facilitate better conversations, deeper connections, ultimately more success in dating in the real world.”

Other popular dating services aren’t charging for AI matchmaking features. On Facebook Dating, which has more than 21.5 million daily users worldwide, users can use AI to write their profile intro and chat with an dating assistant for free.

People sit and talk to each other in a dimly lit room.

AI dating startups are popping up in California, New York and other states that could change the way people find a partner online.

The AI assistant can recommend people looking for a serious relationship, someone with common hobbies or even above a certain height or age. Roughly 1 million people use Facebook Dating’s AI assistant daily in the United States and Canada, Meta said.

Facebook Dating product manager Neha Kumar said AI can help combat “swipe fatigue” facing online dating users.

“You’re sifting through a bunch of profiles. It’s really hard to understand and find somebody that’s compatible for you based on your specific types of preferences,” she said. “We really wanted to think about leveraging AI to solve this growing pain point.”

Technology is also a double-edged sword. The rise of AI tools means people can use technology to easily manipulate photos and craft messages on dating apps that might make them seem much more attractive or charismatic than they are in person. Some people are even turning to AI chatbots for companionship.

“How do we maintain human authenticity and human connection through an AI world? I don’t have a perfect answer to that. I think we’re still figuring it out,” Kumar said.

Lansley, the online dating user, said apps do make dating more convenient but it’s much more interesting to meet people face-to-face. She worries people will rely too much on AI as a “crutch” to replace human intimacy or emotional judgment.

“Chemistry,” she said, “is always going to be analog.”

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