Digital Cupid: Can AI replace the human dating expert?
Struggling to craft the perfect dating app bio to secure a match or come up with a witty reply to keep the conversation going with your crush? Finding love and fostering romance is tough work. Wouldn’t it be so much easier if we had a personal dating assistant, available at any moment, who seems to know all the right words to say?
ChatGPT has been a phenomenon in the world of work, providing a human-like companion that offers solutions to our problems and lightens our workload. But how do artificial intelligence-powered chatbots fare when it comes to love?
Flirtini surveyed 2,000 people on how they’re using AI to assist them in the complex dating world and how it has impacted their experiences.
Key takeaways:
Some 50% of people have turned to chatbots, such as ChatGPT, for dating advice, with 55% having used AI to generate messages to send their crush.
Likewise, 46% have practiced flirting with a chatbot, while 40% have used the technology to brush up on their sexting skills.
Despite ChatGPT’s tendency to ‘hallucinate’, 56% of people now trust AI more than human dating experts, with just 19% verifying the accuracy of its advice.
While 32% of people have experienced negative consequences, such as fights or a breakup, after following AI’s advice, 36% of people say it has had a positive impact on their love life.
The love algorithm: Turning to ChatGPT for dating advice
Whether it’s because relationship coaches are too expensive or people are too embarrassed to seek support from an expert, 50% of people are turning to chatbots to help them navigate the struggles of dating.
However, not everyone is convinced by its abilities. AI technology, in its current form, cannot comprehend the complexity of human emotion. If it can’t feel and understand the thrill of falling in love or the heartache of rejection, how can it possibly offer useful advice?
Many people aren’t just using ChatGPT to seek dating advice, they’re putting it in total control of managing their love life, with 55% having used AI to generate messages to send to their crush. But if you’re lazy when it comes to love, there’s a chance your match will notice, with 15% having been caught in the act by their crush.
Artificial affection: Using AI to refine your romantic side
AI doesn’t just assist singletons with advice—It offers them someone to chat with who isn't going to ghost them the second they say the wrong thing. Designed to mimic human language, ChatGPT is perfectly capable of reciprocating flirty conversation (and there’s even a voice chat option to help you get ready for that first date).
Providing a safe means to test out cheesy pick-up lines and build your confidence talking to potential partners, 46% of people admit they have practiced flirting with a chatbot at least once.
For many, their romantic relationship with AI doesn’t end at the first base. While ChatGPT may be a bit of a prude, refusing to engage with “inappropriate” prompts, there are plenty of chatbots more than willing to engage in flirty chat—and often far more. In fact, 40% of people admit they have used the technology to practice sexting.
But for many people, it isn’t even about preparing for the real deal. It’s simply about having someone to talk to. With rates of loneliness at an epidemic level, 52% of people admit they have spent time with AI to help them feel less lonely.
Swiping on AI: Do people trust advice from algorithms?
While AI may be incapable of love, its straight-talking and unbiased views have won our hearts, with 56% of people now more trusting of AI than human dating experts.
We’ve all fallen for ChatGPT and the support it offers in all aspects of our lives… but don’t let love blind you. The truth is that AI is prone to making up stories and telling a few white lies. Otherwise known as ‘hallucinations’, algorithms often provide incorrect or entirely made-up information and insist it’s true. It’s like when you desperately want to impress a date and lie about your job, hobbies, or past to win them over.
Yet, worryingly, 74% of people trust the information they’re given by AI—and just 19% double-check that it’s telling the truth.
Code and chemistry: Can you trust AI’s dating advice?
AI’s heart is in the right place, but it’s just as prone to getting it wrong when it comes to dating as we are. While it may not be capable of feeling love and experiencing romance, ChatGPT has already been involved in its fair share of splits and squabbles. Some 10% of people say they fought with their partner after taking relationship advice from the chatbot, while 22% admit it resulted in their relationship breaking down.
Nobody’s perfect, and chatbots are no different. While 13% of people say that AI’s dating advice has negatively impacted their love lives, 36% believe its impact has been positive.
Can AI be a decent wingman when you’re struggling for words or need a second opinion? Absolutely. But should you rely on it to put in all the hard work? Probably not. After all, dating is about finding someone that matches your personality, values, and interests—not ChatGPT’s.
Methodology:
This research was conducted by Flirtini using internal polling. Flirtini researchers and experts surveyed 2,000 daters across the U.S. The respondents were asked a range of questions on how they are using AI to assist them in the complex dating world and how it has impacted their experiences.
Age of participants:
18 - 27 = 41%
28 - 44 = 47%
45 - 61 = 11%
62 + = 1%
Gender of participants:
Female 43%
Male 57%
The data was collected from 29 May 2024 to 03 June 2024.
