Using companion AI is a deal breaker in dating, says Match study

Some single people, especially young women, see dating an AI bot as a red flag, new research suggests.

A new survey from Match Group, the dating app conglomerate that owns Tinder, Hinge, and other apps, found that 47 percent view AI in a relationship context negatively. Two in five singles aged 18 to 39 say they would refuse to date someone using an AI companion app, and that number jumps to 51% for women aged 18 to 24.

12% of 18-24 year olds surveyed reported using a companion AI app in the past three months. Of these, the top reasons were boredom and entertainment (45%), followed by role-playing and simulation at 43%. Some people (38%) used it to build “authentic connections” and 26% used it to process emotions.

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Mutch found that when single people use AI, it is primarily for practical tasks. Almost 75% of singles between the ages of 18 and 39 regularly use tools like ChatGPT, and 69% rely on it primarily for productivity.

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Only 20% of respondents (survey of nearly 1,000 single U.S. adults aged 18 to 39 from April 13 to May 8, 2026) use AI for personal advice. This is only 2% less than the 22% of single people who go to a professional therapist for this purpose. The majority, 60%, goes to friends and the same amount goes to family.

But despite their disdain for companion apps, 64 percent believe AI can help with dating, whether it’s keeping a conversation going (27 percent), building a strong profile (27 percent), starting a conversation (26 percent), or planning a date (24 percent).

This finding is similar to a November 2025 report from Match Group’s real estate company, Hinge, which found that Gen Z daters are using AI tools to start and continue conversations.

When it comes to dating humans, singles, at least young adults, seem to think it’s OK to use AI to chat and make plans.

Major Match Group apps like Tinder and Hinge have been adding more and more AI features over the past few years, as have others like Bumble. But Bumble recently faced backlash online after announcing it might be eliminating swipes and replacing them with a more AI-driven experience.