Love in the Age of Algorithms: 6 AI Dating Apps That are Revolutionizing Romance

Ivana Kotorchevikj

Written by Ivana Kotorchevikj AI for Entertainment

Linkedin Published 1 year ago / updated 1 year ago - 12 min read

Dating nowadays is hard; everyone who has tried it can agree on it. Although online dating apps have become a mainstream way for people to meet, they inevitably cause dating burnout and are rife with problems.

Despite having so many potential matches with just a swipe, human nature dominates dating apps. So, it’s not uncommon to hear online daters complain about ghosting, spam, and harassment. It seems the very premise dating apps are built in - matching on physical appearance and a fleeting glance at someone’s profile - is flawed.

However, there’s a new gen of AI dating apps promising to provide a better online dating experience by helping you craft a good conversation starter, pick matches that you find attractive, or even act as your AI companion.

In this article, we'll take you on a journey through the exciting landscape of 6 AI-powered cutting-edge dating apps that are at the forefront of this revolution.

Replika

Replika is one of the AI dating apps that has caused a lot of stir in the dating app world. The app imitates a genuine human interaction. Users talk to an interactive, personalized AI chatbot that learns to talk as a human from the conversations it's having.

The idea behind Replika is to provide an empathetic companion that is always there when you need a buddy to talk to and offer friendly advice. Your Replika companion can act as a friend, romantic partner, or mentor.

Having a virtual companion with whom you can develop an intimate relationship is a controversial thought, something you’d expect to see in a “Black Mirror” episode.

But there’s a reason why people would be drawn to an AI companion. As people, we possess an inherent instinct to avoid pain while pursuing pleasure, essentially trying to get the positive in life without the negative, according to Human Behaviour Specialist Hayden Brown.

This is exactly what AI offers - avoid the difficulties of forming connections with people and get instant gratification.

Back when it was launched in 2017, Replika was initially designed as a ‘friendbot’ and not as an AI romantic companion, Rita Popova, Chief Product Officer of Blush, the AI dating simulator from the same parent company, told TechCrunch.

However, users used it for erotic conversations and intimate interactions. Some users on Reddit said they fell in love with their AI bots, and some even married their companions. You might have come across the story of a woman marrying her AI boyfriend, whom she created in Replika.

Whether you’d go for an AI virtual buddy or romantic partner instead of a human one, we leave it up to you.

In case you decide to go for an AI romance, you can download Replika on Android, iPhone, or Oculus. The free version allows you to choose and customize your avatar, and chat with it 24/7. The Replika Pro version costs $19.99 per month, a yearly subscription for $49.99, and a lifetime subscription for $299.99.

💌 You might also like to read: Are You Sure You’re Not Chatting with ChatGPT on Tinder?

Iris

Iris is an AI dating app that helps you find matches based on your preferences. You can teach the AI what you like in a potential match, and then it suggests people you might find attractive based on that data. However, the attraction needs to be mutual for the match to happen.

Iris Dating AI analyzes your preferences and finds compatible matches for you. By understanding who you are attracted to, the dating app presents you with potential partners who might also find you attractive.

Iris’s CEO, Igor Khalatian, explained to Hindustan Times that their AI takes into account many details from users' preferences, such as the distance between the eyes.

Their mission is to help people find matches faster without wasting time swiping through people you don’t find attractive. That being said, the company's main focus is on attraction and finding mutual attraction, as is stated on its site.

Their second focus is on authenticity and eliminating catfishing. Iris Dating guarantees user authentication by implementing a selfie verification process. Additionally, they have a team of experts combing through profiles and eliminating fake ones.

Teaser AI (Mila)

Note: Teaser AI was renamed Mila and is available for iOS devices. Unfortunately, the app Teaser AI was removed from the App Store in the middle of September 2023 because users found it hard to wrap their heads around it, reports Herald Sun.

Teaser AI was created by Daniel Liss, the founder and CEO of the photo-sharing site Dispo. The idea of the AI dating app came to Liss and his time after they interviewed women, who are Dispo’s target audience.

Image credits: TechCrunch

The team came to the conclusion that the common pain point of women was ghosting on dating apps, although they got loads of matches.

So the parent company behind Teaser AI and Dispo, All Summer Long, set out to create an anti-ghosting dating app powered by AI, informs TechCrunch.

However, Liss doesn’t put the focus on the AI aspect of the app - instead, he describes it as an app promising less ghosting and more matches.

In essence, Teaser AI creates virtual representations or chatbots of users, imitating their personality and communication style. When you start using the app, you train it to sound like you by chatting with it.

When the bot learns all it needs, it starts talking to potential matches’ AI representations as icebreakers or ‘teasers.’

However, the AI chatbots of potential matches have a limited number of lines to exchange. Teaser AI allows AI chatbots to exchange 5 back-and-forth messages before handing the conversation to real people. The reason behind this is to prevent people from getting too deep into talking to AI, getting distasteful or rude in chat, or too intimate too quickly.

After all, Teaser AI’s goal is not to recreate the scenario from the movie “HER” where a lonely man falls in love with his AI assistant. The point is to warm up the conversations between matches with AI icebreakers.

A word of caution, though - the AIs can make up crazy stuff, as the disclaimer states, before starting a chat with a potential match. Amanda Silberling from TechCrunch tested Teaser AI herself and got some pretty surprising icebreakers. She talked to Anna AI, another dater’s AI, which twisted her bio so much that it transformed her from a ‘dog mom’ to a 28-year-old mom to a 28-year-old son. ChatGPT is not the only AI that hallucinates excessively.

RIZZ - AI Dating Assistant

If you need some help coming up with fitting responses with potential matches, Rizz is the AI dating assistant you need.

Rizz AI Dating Assistant uses GPT to generate conversation starters and personalized responses to potential love interests. The app allows you to upload screenshots, chats, or bios of people you are talking to and get witty AI-generated responses.

The AI processes the tone, style, vocabulary, and humor to generate a response that fits your personal communication manner. Also, the more you use Rizz, the better response you’ll get from the AI app.

The dating assistance helps you keep the conversation going, whether you are trying to make a great first impression, impress your date, or simply want to spice up a chat.

Need help keeping the conversation flowing during a date? Or, if you are trying to make a great first impression for your potential match, impress your date, or add some excitement to your chat, Rizz can help with all that.

Rizz is not only your wingman for winning over matches; it can also help you maintain good communication with friends or family, and even improve your professional communication.

You can download Rizz on the App Store and Google Play Store.

Blush AI - AI Dating Simulator

All the previous apps are for daters already in the game. But if you don’t feel ready to put yourself on the dating market, Blush AI AI Dating Simulator is your go-to dating app.

Blush AI was built by the parent company Replika and was designed as an AI dating simulator that helps people practice dating and relationships skills, and learn how to handle real-life relationship situations in a safe and fun space.

The dating app allows you to build real connections with AI chatbots with their own story and personality. The aim is to give users the opportunity to practice being in a relationship and decide how far the relationship will go.

The idea of Blush AI was developed because of the overwhelming lack of intimacy revealed by the demand for intimacy from the Replika bots. In essence, Blush’s goal is to help people conquer the fear of meeting new people and forming connections.

The team brought in licensed psychotherapist Melissa McCool to weigh in on the creation of the AI bots, their backstories, and how they should communicate and respond to conflicts.

The Blush AI app is completely safe to use; it doesn't store chat history, and there are safety measures in place if users show worrying or unsafe behavior.

The dating app can be downloaded only on iPhone. There’s a free and premium version, which costs $99 per year.

💝 Explore how to use ChatGPT for Tinder chat-up lines.

Cupid AI

If you haven’t had any luck with OKCupid, you may want to try Cupid AI - an AI-powered wingman bot that can help you get your dating A-game on.

Cupid AI can craft personalized pick-up lines and responses based on your potential matches’ bios and conversation history. The dating assistant app is compatible with and seamlessly integrates several dating apps, including Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, Hitch and other popular dating platforms.

Cupid AI is powered by OpenAI’s GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 models. The AI app is constantly updated with new conversation starters and trends in dating to provide you with better chances of getting matches and dates.

Apart from generating witty pickup lines and icebreakers, you can ask Cupid AI for advice and guidance to level up your dating game.

Cupid AI is available for download on the App Store, in a free and premium version.

✨ Read about the top AI apps you can download for free on your mobile device.

Navigating romance in the age of AI

In this article, we've entered the realm of AI dating apps, where technology meets the quest for love. Online dating, with its array of potential matches, often leads to challenges like ghosting and harassment, highlighting the complexities of digital human interaction.

However, a new wave of AI dating apps is transforming online dating. From Replika's empathetic companions to Iris's data-driven matchmaking and Rizz's witty assistance, these apps are revolutionizing how we approach modern romance.

As technology shapes our love lives, these AI dating apps offer intriguing possibilities for those seeking deeper connections in the digital age. Love is adapting to the era of algorithms, promising both innovation and intrigue.