Meta is bringing artificial intelligence to Facebook Dating, aiming to make finding compatible matches smarter and less tiring for users. The company announced on Monday that it is introducing an AI assistant designed to help people discover potential partners who align more closely with their preferences.
According to Meta, the chatbot can respond to specific requests, helping users search in more personalized ways. For instance, it might suggest asking for “a Brooklyn girl in tech” or offer tips on how to refine a dating profile. By embedding AI directly into the experience, Meta hopes to set Facebook Dating apart in an increasingly crowded and competitive online dating market.
In addition to the assistant, the platform is rolling out a feature called Meet Cute, aimed at addressing what Meta describes as swipe fatigue. Rather than endless scrolling, this option provides users with one weekly “surprise match” chosen through the company’s algorithm. Meta also says that it’s “helping people avoid swipe fatigue” with a new feature called Meet Cute, which gives users a weekly “surprise match” chosen based on its algorithm.
Meta highlighted that Facebook Dating has seen steady traction among younger users. The company says Facebook Dating matches among adults ages 18 to 29 have increased 10% year-over-year growth, with hundreds of thousands of users in that age group creating Facebook Dating profiles each month. While these numbers indicate growth, they remain modest compared to established players. Tinder, for example, boasts around 50 million daily active users, while Hinge reports about 10 million.
AI features are becoming standard across the dating landscape. Startups like Sitch are trying to differentiate themselves with AI-enabled experiences, while giants like Match Group — which owns Tinder, Hinge, and OkCupid — have gone further by investing over $20 million in AI initiatives, including a partnership with OpenAI. This has already resulted in tools such as Tinder’s AI photo selector, which scans a user’s camera roll to suggest the best profile pictures, and AI-powered matching capabilities across apps.
Bumble, too, has entered the AI race, adding its own suite of features. Its founder, Whitney Wolfe Herd, made waves last year when she suggested a future where personal “AI concierges” could go on dates with one another to gauge compatibility before users meet in person.
With these new features, Meta is signaling that Facebook Dating intends not just to catch up with competitors but to experiment with novel ways to make online dating more engaging, efficient, and personalized.
