On dating apps, men use AI to put their best face forward

Dating app users are employing AI tools to alter their profiles, raising concerns about authenticity and deception in online dating.

Men are using artificial intelligence to enhance their dating app photos, from subtle edits like changing hairstyles and clothing to completely fabricated images. A Boston marketing professional reports regularly encountering digitally altered profiles, sometimes featuring AI-generated scenes that appear unrealistic. Women on social media have documented similar experiences spotting suspicious photos of men on various dating platforms.

Dating app consultant Lana Li uses AI tools including ChatGPT and FaceApp to help clients improve their profile photos through minor adjustments like adjusting facial expressions or changing outfits. She defends the practice when edits remain authentic to the person's actual appearance, though she declines requests she views as fundamentally misleading, such as placing a client's head on another person's body.

Major dating apps are taking action against inauthentic content. Hinge, owned by Match Group, uses automated detection and human reviewers to identify and remove AI-generated images that misrepresent users. Bumble similarly prohibits artificially generated photos used to deceive others and enforces violations through AI tools, human moderation, and permanent account bans. Researchers note that AI has made daters more skeptical of potential matches, particularly regarding people they don't know.