Meta Upgrades Facebook Dating with AI Assistant and Meet Cute Feature

Meta has announced a significant update to Facebook Dating, introducing an artificial intelligence (AI) assistant designed to help users find better-matched partners. This move aims to make the dating experience more personalized and less exhausting for users.

How the New AI Dating Assistant Works

The new AI chatbot can assist users in various ways, such as refining their dating profiles or searching for specific types of matches. Users might ask the assistant to look for a "Brooklyn girl in tech" or get help optimizing their profile to attract the right kind of people. Meta’s goal is to deliver matches more closely aligned with each user’s preferences and interests.

Tackling Swipe Fatigue with Meet Cute

To address the common issue of swipe fatigue, Meta is launching a feature called Meet Cute. This tool offers a weekly "surprise match" selected by the platform’s algorithm, encouraging users to discover new connections in a more organic way, instead of endlessly swiping through profiles.

Facebook Dating’s Growth and Competition

Meta reports that matches among adults aged 18 to 29 on Facebook Dating have increased by 10% year-over-year, with hundreds of thousands of new profiles created monthly in this demographic. Despite this growth, Facebook Dating’s user base still trails behind major competitors—Tinder boasts around 50 million daily active users, and Hinge has about 10 million.

AI: The New Norm in Online Dating

AI-powered features are becoming standard across the online dating industry. Apps like Sitch have launched with AI matchmaking as a core offering. Leading companies like Match Group (owners of Tinder, Hinge, and OKCupid) have invested over $20 million in AI, even partnering with OpenAI to improve their platforms. These investments have resulted in features like:

• Automated photo selectors that pick your best profile pictures
• AI-powered matching algorithms
• Profile prompt optimization tools to improve user responses

Bumble has also added AI features, and its founder has even floated the idea of personal "AI concierges" that could one day interact with other AIs to assess compatibility for their human users.

What This Means for the Future of Dating Apps

Meta’s new AI assistant and Meet Cute surprise match feature reflect a broader industry shift toward leveraging AI to create more meaningful connections and reduce user burnout. As competition intensifies, dating platforms are increasingly relying on smart algorithms and innovative tools to differentiate themselves and offer a better user experience.

References

• Meta: Facebook Dating Adds Features to Address Swipe Fatigue
• Wired: Confessions of a Hinge Power User
• TechCrunch: Sitch Wants to Fuse Human Personality and AI for Matchmaking
• TechCrunch: Match Group Inks Deal with OpenAI
• Yahoo Finance: Match Group Stock Price
• TechCrunch: Tinder AI Photo Selection Feature Launches
• TechCrunch: Tinder Will Try AI-Powered Matching
• TechCrunch: Hinge New AI Feature
• TechCrunch: Let Bots Date Other Bots
• TechCrunch: Facebook is Getting an AI Dating Assistant