Grindr Tests AI Wingman to Support Queer Users in Dating and Emotional Wellbeing
Image Credit: Lilith Redmoon | Splash
Grindr, a dating app primarily for gay and bisexual men, is developing an artificial intelligence feature called the “wingman” to assist users in finding long-term relationships and managing dating tasks. As of April 2025, the AI agent remains in early testing, with no recent public updates on its progress. The project highlights the growing role of AI in online dating, tailored to the needs of Grindr’s community.
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Functionality of the AI Wingman
The AI wingman is a bot designed to perform tasks such as tracking conversations with preferred users, recommending potential partners for long-term relationships, and suggesting date locations. In the future, it may make reservations or enable bot-to-bot interactions, where AI agents exchange information about their users’ preferences to assess compatibility before a human date. This aims to streamline matchmaking and identify potential mismatches early.
Grindr began testing the wingman with a small group of users and planned to expand to 1,000 testers by late 2024, with a further increase to 10,000 in 2025. No new details confirm whether these milestones were met, but the full rollout to Grindr’s nearly 14 million users is projected for 2027.
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AI’s Role in Dating Applications
Grindr’s wingman is among the first efforts to deploy autonomous AI agents in dating apps, capable of handling parts of the dating process independently. Competitors like Bumble, Tinder, and Hinge use AI for tasks such as profile photo selection or detecting fake accounts, but Grindr’s agent focuses on actions like arranging dates or bot-to-bot communication. This aligns with broader trends, as companies like Microsoft and Salesforce have introduced AI agents for workplace tasks. Market research firm Gartner suggests such agents may not become mainstream for another decade.
The wingman’s planned features highlight AI’s potential to change how users engage with dating platforms, though its current capabilities are still being evaluated.
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Privacy and Data Security Measures
Privacy is critical for Grindr’s users, many of whom face stigma or legal risks related to their sexuality. Past issues, such as the sale of user location data through ad networks until 2020, have heightened scrutiny. Grindr has partnered with Ex-human, a company specializing in AI models trained on romantic conversations, to customize the wingman with queer community language and slang for cultural relevance. The app requires user consent to use chat histories for AI training and restricts the wingman from engaging in commercial or soliciting conversations, based on early testing feedback.
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Potential Community Benefits
Beyond matchmaking, the AI wingman could offer emotional support for Grindr’s gay, bisexual, trans, and queer users. CEO George Arison has noted that loneliness and depression are significant issues in the community, and the wingman may provide a space for users to discuss their feelings, serving as both a dating tool and a conversational resource.
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Development Challenges and Next Steps
Creating an AI agent with independent functions presents challenges, including ensuring reliability and defining its scope. Grindr has emphasized a cautious approach due to its high visibility and the sensitive nature of its user base. As of April 2025, no new public updates have emerged on the trial’s progress or the results of its testing phases. The company continues to gather feedback to refine the wingman’s features, with further developments expected as testing expands.
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Source: The Wall Street Journal
