Grindr Partners with Ex-human to Incorporate Generative AI

Dating app Grindr has announced a strategic partnership with Ex-human to add an AI assistant to its platform.

According to Decrypt, Ex-human is a bit different from the familiar AI tools we’ve seen, which focus on answering fact-based questions. Instead, Ex-human is designed to engage in “emotionally resonant and meaningful conversations” according to Decrypt.

In fact, the AI model offers virtual companions like imaginary geishas and popular figures like Elon Musk. The companions are designed to show expressions and reactions to different prompts, so the user feels more engaged with the bot.

For Grindr, this model fits perfectly into a dating app platform, referring to the AI assistant as a type of “Grindr Wingman.” According to Decrypt, it is intended to help users engage socially, helping them craft messages and tailor their interactions with matches. The AI assistant is also going to be used for dating advice, conversation prompts, and will offer personal recommendations for dates (like restaurants or venues to see music both matches might enjoy).

As Decrypt points out, Grindr has a long history with privacy issues, which could complicate the rollout. The company was bought a few years earlier by Chinese tech company Beijing Kunlun, which raised concerns because of the personal data of users potentially being seized by the Chinese government. Users especially affected were US military and intelligence personnel, who could be blackmailed for information if they weren’t public about their sexual identities. The U.S. government oversight agency for commerce got involved, forcing Beijing Kunlun to sell.

More recently, in countries that have strict laws against LGBTQ people, Grindr has had to issue warnings to users to hide their profiles and activity on the app.

CEO George Arison told Decrypt that integrating Ex-human’s technology onto the Grindr platform would be “handled with the utmost care for user data privacy,” assuring the public that personal information will remain within Grindr’s infrastructure.

Despite privacy concerns, AI is already changing the dating app world. More singles are using ChatGPT to help them get matches – and are a lot more successful than those who aren’t using AI. OkCupid noted that users who employ AI get 40 percent more matches than those who don’t.

As Decrypt points out, this also leaves singles on dating platforms vulnerable to AI-based scams, like LoveGPT, which can get around security measures placed on these apps. LoveGPT then can scrape user profiles (including sensitive information like phone numbers) as well as messages to create fake accounts.

But Grindr sees the potential of incorporating AI, and that this is the future of dating apps. "If we don’t do it, someone else will,” Arison told Decrypt. “If you’re not first to market with something in AI, you’re going to miss out." For more on this dating service, you can check out our Grindr review.