Are You Ready to Make Room in Romance for an AI 'Wingman?'

AI's effect on our lives is about to notch up another degree as Grindr prepares to unleash its virtual "wingman," and the gay hookup app is far from alone in its android ambitions.

Various dating apps are positioning themselves for more widespread use of AI. "According to Wired, artificial intelligence is set to play a key role in the paths forward for apps like Tinder and Bumble, newcomers like Iris Dating (which literally features a disembodied woman's head asking questions), and gay staples like Grindr," Queerty relayed.

Wired detailed that "Machine-learning features are prominent on the app's product road map for 2025," with Grindr CEO George Arison suggesting that the app's AI "could prove beneficial for users looking to discover new people worth messaging or possibly connecting with again."

"Further in the future, the app hopes to release a 'wingman' chatbot, currently being beta tested by a limited number of users, that will provide tailored advice and even suggest date spots," the Wired article went on to say.

As existing apps jostle and new ones dive into the gay dating pool, a whole new kind of competition is sure to arise.

"These tools focus more on AI advice than using machine learning to build networks of eligible daters," Wired noted, adding that one such mechanical matchmaker, called Rizz, "went viral for helping users on existing dating platforms role-play different responses to matches, earning an international following."

"Hell, even the Hawk Tuah girl released a dating advice app, called Pookie Tools, which included a flirt meter, height detector, and bald predictor," Wired pointed out. However, the article added, "As generative AI has seeped into all parts of online life, being able to discern what's genuine has only gotten harder. Adding bot-on-bot action to the mix sure doesn't sound like the answer."

The writer, Reece Rogers, went into the dating wilds to survey what potential users of the new tech thought about their prospects in a brave new world of hookup calculus. Chatting with San Francisco Grindr users, he found that "almost no one had heard about the wingman chatbot, despite living in America's tech capital."

It didn't seem to matter.

"As long as it doesn't interfere too much with their core goals on Grindr," Reece wrote, "this subset of users didn't seem to care either way about new tools."

Except, of course, for the wag who sent the Wired correspondent "four huge, blue-bubble messages" listing the pros and cons of AI wingmen swooping in at some future time... lists, the writer realized from their tenor, that had been AI-generated.

Taking a test flight with Grindr's wingman himself, Rogers discovered some unexpected latitude: In addition to being able to "write witty responses for users as they chat with matches, help pick guys worth messaging, and even plan the perfect night out," the beta-stage artificial bro was able to offer some pointers about specific practices such as fisting.

"But it drew the line at engaging in dirty talk," Queerty noted, telling Rogers: "How about we keep things playful but PG-13?"

Sounds like one man's playtime is another bot's carefully circumscribed community guidelines.