Nearly half of U.S. singles view AI negatively in dating contexts, but most accept AI tools that help with profiles and conversation—not robot relationships.

What happened: Match Group surveyed 1,000 people aged 18 to 39 and found that 47% of singles have a negative view of AI's use in romantic contexts. About 40% say they would refuse to date someone who uses an AI companion app, rising to 51% among women ages 18 to 24. However, 64% of respondents said they could see how AI might help them in their dating journey.

Why it matters: Dating apps across the industry—Bumble, Tinder, and Hinge among them—are rapidly introducing AI features. The survey reveals a key tension: users reject the idea of AI-mediated romance or dating bots, but they will use AI to improve their own dating profiles and keep conversations flowing. This means app developers who position AI as a replacement for human connection risk alienating their user base.

What to watch: Match's takeaway is direct: 'help with the hard parts, but hands off for the human parts.' Only 12% of 18- to 24-year-olds said they had used a companion app over the last three months, and only about a third of those users said they were seeking genuine connections with chatbots. The gap between skepticism and actual adoption suggests the market for AI companions in dating remains niche.