Dating app companies are making huge investments into AI features, but these companies may be missing the mark with their key Gen Z demographic according to a recent Bloomberg Intelligence survey.
A new Bloomberg Intelligence survey has found that Generation Z, broadly defined as those born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s, is less comfortable with AI-powered features in dating apps compared to their millennial counterparts. The survey, which polled nearly 1,000 US respondents between May 15 and 29, 2025, was conducted by Attest on behalf of Bloomberg Intelligence.
The findings suggest that Gen Z users are more wary of using AI to draft profile prompts, respond to messages, or modify profile pictures than millennials. This hesitancy could spell trouble for dating app companies that have made sizable investments in AI technology to attract and retain younger users.
Bloomberg Intelligence technology analyst Nicole D’Souza, who authored the report, noted that these AI features might be unnecessary for many users. The survey revealed that nearly half of the respondents had no issues creating their profiles without AI assistance and that most did not struggle with conversations with potential matches.
The survey results highlight the challenges faced by dating app companies like Match Group and Bumble as they heavily invest in AI to appeal to younger users who have different social norms and dating preferences compared to other generations. Gen Z, in particular, is more likely to abstain from dating or prefer long-term relationships over casual ones, a shift that may have been influenced by pandemic-era isolation and a preference for in-person interactions.
This shift in dating habits has led to eight consecutive quarters of subscriber declines at Match, which owns popular brands such as Tinder, Hinge, Match.com, and OkCupid. Competitor Bumble has also struggled with revenue and paid-user slumps in recent quarters. Match CEO Spencer Rascoff, who assumed the role in February, acknowledged that the company failed to “recognize and respond to changes in the younger demographic” as millennials aged.
While Match executives have pointed to AI as a means to boost engagement among Gen Z, who now comprise about half of Tinder’s monthly active users, D’Souza suggests that “AI can’t rescue dating apps” if Gen Z is dating less and more reluctant to pay for subscriptions. The discomfort with AI tools may also indicate “a potential disconnect between product strategy and user sentiment,” she added.
However, apps that align with Gen Z’s preferences, such as Hinge, which focuses on long-term relationships, have managed to maintain double-digit subscriber growth. Tinder, on the other hand, has struggled to shed its “hookup app” reputation and has acknowledged the need to prioritize user needs over short-term profits. Some of Tinder’s new products, like a double-dating feature, aim to help reinvent the brand and provide a low-pressure way for people to meet dates with friends.
Read more at Bloomberg here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
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