Students at universities around the US are increasingly moving away from the standard swipe-and-chat dating app format and trying a model that lets artificial intelligence take a much bigger role in choosing matches.
The shift comes as many users grow tired of spending long stretches browsing profiles, sending messages and setting up plans that never turn into real-life dates.
Instead of asking people to do all the searching themselves, these newer systems collect details about personality, interests and preferences, then use that information to suggest someone compatible.
Matches are released in scheduled batches, which means users face fewer choices and are nudged more quickly toward meeting in person.
The broader idea is to cut down on decision fatigue and move digital connections into the real world faster, though it also raises obvious questions about how much influence an algorithm should have over something as personal as dating.
That debate is increasingly relevant because the biggest names in the industry are also leaning harder into AI. Tinder has rolled out AI-curated recommendations, new trust and safety tools, and features designed to make matching feel more intentional and less like endless browsing.
Meanwhile, Match Group’s annual Singles in America research has shown that AI use in dating is still relatively early, but far from niche: a small share of singles already use it directly in their dating lives, and many more say they would be open to AI helping sort matches, improve profiles or suggest conversation topics.
One of the companies driving that trend is Ditto AI, a startup launched in 2024 by former students from UC Berkeley.
Rather than letting users endlessly scroll through profiles, Ditto asks them to fill out a questionnaire. Its AI then studies those responses to identify compatibility. Fresh matches are issued every Wednesday, and students who are paired can choose a time to meet.
The app also plans the first date itinerary, taking yet another logistical step out of the process.
Although Ditto began in Berkeley, it has since rolled out to campuses nationwide, including nine universities in California.
Figures provided by the company say it has set up more than 12,000 dates, and 92 per cent of matched users reported that they were interested in seeing the other person again.
The company presents itself as a replacement for what it sees as an aging version of online dating.
Its website makes that argument directly in a “Manifesto” section. As first reported by the New York Post, it states, “For the past 20 years, we’ve connected in primitive ways…”
It continues: “But now, everything changes. AI brings your ‘profiles
’ to life as agents.”
Medium has examined Ditto’s approach and compared it with the Black Mirror episode “Hang the DJ”, in which an algorithm runs repeated simulations to judge whether two people are a good fit.
Reports say Ditto carries out 1,000 hypothetical dates before offering a single recommended match. It also suggests conversation starters, aiming to eliminate relentless swiping, repetitive opening chats and the uncertainty over who should message first.
According to Medium, one user said: “You’re taking the brainwork out of a brain-dead process.”
Still, not everyone is convinced that removing so much uncertainty is entirely positive. Some critics argue that taking away awkwardness, rejection and unpredictability could make dating feel too managed.
Experts and regulators have also warned that AI-driven romance tools can create new risks around privacy, authenticity and overreliance on automated advice. The Federal Trade Commission has recently expanded its scrutiny of AI companion products, while researchers have raised concerns that users may not always know when messages, profiles or recommendations are being shaped by AI.
Dating strategist Luna Rae has also warned that technology should support connection rather than replace the human side of it.
She wrote: “Your heart doesn’t run on Wi-Fi. Let the bot assist, not replace.”
Early results suggest there is genuine interest in a more automated dating experience, but whether AI-picked pairings can deliver lasting relationship success over time is still uncertain.