Online dating was already a mess, but AI has somehow made it worse. What was once a game of swiping, small talk, and ghosting has turned into a confusing landscape where you’re never quite sure if you’re talking to a real person, a bot, or someone using AI to fake their way into a relationship. Instead of making connections more meaningful, AI has turned dating into a weird, impersonal, and frustrating experience. Here’s how it’s ruining everything.
1. It’s Making It Impossible To Tell Who’s Real
Once upon a time, the worst you had to worry about was someone using a five-year-old profile picture. Now? You can’t even be sure if the person you’re talking to exists. AI-generated profiles with stolen pictures, perfectly crafted bios, and eerily human-like responses are flooding dating apps, making it harder than ever to tell who’s actually real. CNET reports that generative AI and other advances are making it increasingly difficult to distinguish between real and fake profiles on dating apps, with AI-generated profiles featuring realistic images and crafted messages that seem authentic.
Even if the profile belongs to a real person, there’s a good chance AI is running the conversation. Apps are rolling out AI-assisted chatting, where messages are “enhanced” to sound more appealing. This means you might not even be talking to the actual person—just a machine-generated version of what they think will impress you.
2. It’s Making Catfishing Easier To Do
Catfishing has always been a problem, but AI has taken it to the next level. Before, a catfish had to put in the effort—stealing photos, crafting believable lies, and staying consistent. Now, AI tools can create an entirely fake persona in seconds, complete with a backstory, realistic photos, and even a voice that sounds eerily real. However, Fox Business reports that the popular dating app Bumble is integrating AI technology into its new “Deception Detector” to combat catfishing by blocking scam accounts and fake profiles
With AI-generated selfies and deepfake technology, scammers can now create completely new people who don’t actually exist. Someone could be chatting with what looks like a perfectly normal, attractive person, only to later find out they were talking to an AI-powered scammer the whole time. The days of reverse image searching to spot a catfish are over—now, the fake profiles are smarter than ever.
3. It’s Making Conversations More Fake
One of the biggest complaints about online dating is how surface-level the conversations are. AI hasn’t fixed that—it’s made it worse. Instead of actual human connection, people are now relying on AI-generated responses to craft the “perfect” message, which means half the conversations happening online aren’t even real. A study by Norton reveals that 60% of online dating users believe they’ve chatted with AI-generated responses, indicating a growing prevalence of artificial conversations in dating apps.
Dating apps are already pushing AI chat assistants to help people “sound better,” but what’s the point of getting to know someone if neither of you are actually doing the talking? When everything is curated and optimized by AI, it kills any chance of having a genuine, meaningful exchange.
4. It Means People Are Turning To AI Dating Coaches
There used to be a time when you’d ask friends for dating advice. Now, people are turning to AI-powered dating coaches that promise to “optimize” their approach. These AI coaches analyze profiles, suggest conversation starters, and even tell people exactly what to say based on the other person’s messages. According to Time magazine, AI-powered relationship coaches like Meeno are becoming increasingly popular, offering personalized advice and guidance for navigating complex dating scenarios.
While this might sound helpful, it completely strips away authenticity. Instead of learning how to communicate and build relationships naturally, people are outsourcing their entire dating experience to a machine. The result? More robotic, calculated interactions that feel like they came from a manual rather than an actual person.
5. It’s Making Everyone’s Bios Sound The Same
Online dating bios used to be a glimpse into someone’s personality. Now, thanks to AI-generated profile assistance, they all sound like they were written by the same person. The “fun and witty” bio suggestions AI spits out mean everyone ends up with some variation of “Lover of coffee, adventures, and good vibes.”
The result? Profiles that feel generic and devoid of real personality. Instead of getting a sense of who someone is, you’re left scrolling through a sea of copy-paste descriptions that might as well have been written by a bot—because in many cases, they were.
6. It’s Matching People Based On “Compatibility” Rather Than Chemistry
AI-driven matchmaking is supposed to make finding love easier by analyzing interests, personality traits, and behavioral patterns. But the problem is, compatibility on paper doesn’t always translate to real-life chemistry. You might be a 98% match with someone based on an algorithm, but that doesn’t mean you’ll actually click when you meet.
The worst part? AI matching often prioritizes similarities over differences, meaning it pairs people who are *too* alike. But sometimes, the best relationships come from unexpected connections—ones that an algorithm wouldn’t predict. By trying to engineer the “perfect” match, AI is sucking the unpredictability and excitement out of dating.
7. It’s Making It Easier For Scammers To Take Advantage Of People
AI isn’t just helping people find love—it’s helping scammers find their next target. With AI-powered bots, fake profiles, and even AI-generated voice messages, scammers can now run highly sophisticated romance scams that are nearly impossible to detect.
These scams used to rely on broken English and suspicious requests, but AI now allows fraudsters to craft convincing messages, manipulate emotions, and even mimic real people’s writing styles. As a result, more people are falling victim to fake relationships that are built purely to exploit them financially or emotionally.
8. It’s Normalizing Deepfake Voice And Video Calls
Once upon a time, a quick video call was the best way to confirm someone was real. But AI has ruined that, too. Deepfake technology now allows scammers to generate realistic voice and video calls using stolen data, making it harder than ever to verify someone’s identity.
This means that even a FaceTime call doesn’t guarantee you’re talking to a real person. The idea that you can be tricked into thinking you’re video chatting with someone who doesn’t actually exist is terrifying—but unfortunately, it’s becoming a reality.
9. It Means People Are Using AI-Polished Photos
Filters were already bad enough, but AI-generated photos have taken unrealistic expectations to a new level. Now, people aren’t just editing their pictures—they’re using AI tools to smooth their skin, enhance their features, and create images that look nothing like them.
The result? A dating pool full of people who don’t actually look like their pictures. It’s already hard enough to manage expectations when meeting someone from a dating app, but AI-enhanced photos make it even more likely that reality won’t match what’s on the screen.
10. It’s Killing The Art Of Flirting With Generated Conversation Starters
Flirting used to be spontaneous and fun. Now, people are relying on AI-generated conversation starters to break the ice. Instead of coming up with something creative, they just copy and paste whatever AI suggests—and you can always tell.
The problem with this? It removes personality. If everyone’s using AI to start conversations, no one is actually developing real flirting skills. What used to be a fun, natural exchange now feels like filling in blanks on an automated script.
11. It’s Disrupting The Flow With Predictive Text
Predictive text and AI-assisted replies mean that conversations don’t feel organic anymore. Instead of natural back-and-forth exchanges, people are relying on suggested responses that feel sterile and robotic.
Instead of reading someone’s actual thoughts and personality, you’re getting algorithm-generated responses designed to keep engagement high. It’s making dating feel less human and more like texting with a chatbot.
12. It’s Making It Easier For Ghosters
Ghosting was already a problem, but AI has made it even easier. Now, people don’t even have to come up with their own excuses or avoid difficult conversations—AI can do it for them.
Some dating apps are even introducing AI-generated breakup messages, making it easier than ever for people to disappear without having to put in any emotional effort. If ghosting wasn’t bad enough before, AI has taken it to a whole new level of cold.
13. It’s Normalizing The Use Of “AI Therapists”
Instead of talking to friends or processing emotions naturally, people are turning to AI therapists to help them navigate relationships. While these tools might provide some insight, they can’t replace actual human connection and support.
The danger? People start relying on AI for emotional guidance instead of working through things with real people. Relationships are already struggling under the weight of digital interactions—replacing emotional conversations with AI only makes it worse.
14. It’s Using Fake Engagement To Keep Users Hooked
AI-powered dating apps are designed to keep you swiping, not help you find love. They generate fake engagement, suggest matches that are unlikely to go anywhere, and use AI bots to make the platform feel more active than it actually is.
The goal? Keep you on the app longer. Instead of helping you make genuine connections, AI is making sure you stay addicted to the process, ensuring dating remains frustrating, exhausting, and never-ending.
