Key points
- Dating apps and chatbots powered by AI are changing how we find love and overcome social anxieties.
- While AI offers new ways to connect, it also raises concerns about limited options, bias and the importance of genuine human connection.
- Season 2 of our Everyday AI podcast explores real-world examples of AI as a tool in dating, relationships and communication.
In the age of AI, how we form relationships and communicate is changing. Dating apps, chatbots and digital avatars are increasingly common, offering us new ways to connect, communicate and even find love.
AI’s quiet work in dating apps
Dating apps are the go-to tool for people seeking partners, with millions of young adults using them worldwide. What you might not realise is that AI is quietly working behind the scenes to find you a match.
Gone are the days when meeting someone new meant getting out and about. Now, you can sit on your couch in your comfy clothes and swipe through hundreds of profiles of people near and far.
Dr Stephanie Duguay, a researcher at Concordia University in Canada studies the impact of digital media on everyday life. She explained that dating apps leverage AI to match people based on their preferences and activities.
"These apps can make your profiles for you. So maybe you've pressed a button and it's connected with your Facebook or your Instagram, and suddenly you have a profile and then you're plunged into the swipe screen," Stephanie said.
Dating apps use sophisticated algorithms to match users based on their preferences, behaviours and psychological traits.
“It's a dynamic system that will change and shift in relation to what you input into it. It is responsive to the user as you interact with the app.
“There's a wide variety of factors that play into who you see on these apps based on your activity and other people's activity,” Stephanie said.
The AI dating dilemma
As with anything online, online dating comes with its own unique set of challenges. AI algorithms can actually limit your pool of potential mates by tailoring your results based on your location or past preferences. They can also inherit biases from the data they’re trained on. AI can also be misused to create deceptive profiles, photos and messages. And in the worst case, these can potentially be used for catfishing, identity theft and other scams. On the flip side, some companies are using AI to try and intercept harassment and block fake profiles.
Stephanie also said some dating apps are now integrating generative AI to help you engage in conversation once you’ve got a match. She said there's even a growing trend of dating simulation apps that use AI to mimic real-life dating interactions. You swipe on crafted profiles, then chat with an AI chatbot designed to help you practice flirting and conversational skills. While these simulations may lack the nuance of real people, some might find the low-pressure environment beneficial.
The appeal of AI anonymity
Interestingly, this anonymity might be precisely what some people find attractive about AI. This likely explains the rising in popularity of digital avatars and romantic chatbots.
Platforms like Second Life, a virtual world where users create avatars to interact and build relationships, have been around for years. They give the users a sense of anonymity and freedom. Similarly, AI-powered chatbots like Caryn AI provide a new kind of companionship in the same vein. Both provide a level of control over how you present yourself and interact with others.
Chatbots like Caryn AI can hold conversations, provide emotional support and even learn about your preferences to personalise their interactions. While they might come across as a bit robotic and hollow, this could be part of their appeal.
There's a certain comfort and liberation in knowing you're interacting with an AI, not a real person. This anonymity can be particularly appealing to those struggling with self-consciousness or social anxiety. However, it's important to remember that AI is a tool, not a replacement for human connection.
AI’s role beyond romance
The potential usefulness of AI extends beyond romantic interactions. Researchers S. Shyam Sundar and Sayed Abdullah from Pennsylvania State University explored how AI can be used to help people with social anxiety.
“Public speaking anxiety is one of the most common social phobias. It impacts 30% of the population and can be quite debilitating for some individuals,” Sayed said.
S. Shyam and Sayed's research focused on modifying AI voices, like Amazon's Alexa, to help with public speaking anxiety. Their enhanced version of Alexa helped change users' negative thinking patterns and provided support.
Their research suggests that personalised guidance, simulated real-life speaking scenarios, and constructive feedback provided by tools like Alexa can help people improve their communication skills.
So, we might worry that excessive time online or spent conversing with AI tools is hindering our ability to communicate in real life. But AI could be the key to improving our communication skills and fostering better connections with others in our daily lives.
AI isn’t without its drawbacks. The key lies in using it as a tool to enhance, not replace, human connection. To learn more about these real-world applications and considerations of AI in relationships, tune in to Episode 3, Season 2 of our Everyday AI podcast where host Jon Whittle unpacks these examples and more.