Love Disconnection

There's no love lost between AI and Generation Z:

A new Bloomberg Intelligence survey has found that Generation Z, broadly defined as those born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s, is less comfortable with AI-powered features in dating apps compared to their millennial counterparts. The survey, which polled nearly 1,000 US respondents between May 15 and 29, 2025, was conducted by Attest on behalf of Bloomberg Intelligence. The findings suggest that Gen Z users are more wary of using AI to draft profile prompts, respond to messages, or modify profile pictures than millennials. This hesitancy could spell trouble for dating app companies that have made sizable investments in AI technology to attract and retain younger users. Bloomberg Intelligence technology analyst Nicole D’Souza, who authored the report, noted that these AI features might be unnecessary for many users. The survey revealed that nearly half of the respondents had no issues creating their profiles without AI assistance and that most did not struggle with conversations with potential matches. The survey results highlight the challenges faced by dating app companies like Match Group and Bumble as they heavily invest in AI to appeal to younger users who have different social norms and dating preferences compared to other generations. Gen Z, in particular, is more likely to abstain from dating or prefer long-term relationships over casual ones, a shift that may have been influenced by pandemic-era isolation and a preference for in-person interactions. This shift in dating habits has led to eight consecutive quarters of subscriber declines at Match, which owns popular brands such as Tinder, Hinge, Match.com, and OkCupid. Competitor Bumble has also struggled with revenue and paid-user slumps in recent quarters. Match CEO Spencer Rascoff, who assumed the role in February, acknowledged that the company failed to “recognize and respond to changes in the younger demographic” as millennials aged.

Old fashioned romance is not dead...