Bumble CEO Forecasts AI Dating Mentor to Guide You in Flirting

Numerous speculations regarding our AI future, reminiscent of the dystopian series Black Mirror, revolve around the unsettling notion of how artificial intelligence might alter the dynamics of relationships. Could we develop romantic feelings towards our computers? Will youngsters favor AI tutors over human educators?

No matter what happens, people will probably still be looking for other people’s company. And technology can help. First, AI could improve dating for singles, says Whitney Wolfe Herd, founder and CEO of one of the most popular dating apps, Bumble Inc.

“The average single American adult doesn’t date because they can’t flirt or they’re afraid they can’t,” Wolfe Herd said on this week’s episode of The Circuit With Emily Chang. “What if you could leverage a chatbot to instill trust and help someone feel really safe before they start talking to strangers?”

Humanity could use some help. The US Surgeon General declared loneliness an epidemic, and more than half of adults report feeling lonely. Most people under the age of 30 have tried online dating, but a study by Bumble rival Match Group Inc. showed that people are getting tired of using the dating app.

Wolfe Herd thinks a lot about how technology can make a difference. For example, AI could improve the quality of matches by, as he put it, “overloading fate.” She also aims to help people find romantic partners, but also platonic ones. Bumble recently launched a separate app called BFF to find friends.

“We’re really building something that no one has built before,” Wolfe Herd said. “We are building an entire relationship company.”

This episode of The Circuit With Emily Chang premieres Thursday, Aug. 31 at 8 p.m. in New York on the Bloomberg app and Bloomberg.com and at 10 p.m. on Bloomberg Television. Watch the extended discussions on The Circuit podcast.