Hinge CEO Says Gen Z Needs AI Help to Break the Ice on Dating Apps

BBC Business reported Thursday that Hinge chief executive Jackie Jantos believes Gen Z singles require AI-powered tools to initiate conversations on dating apps, citing a widespread confidence deficit among young adults.

Jantos told the BBC that younger daters genuinely want serious relationships but are finding it hard to put themselves forward in an increasingly solitary social environment. She pointed to data suggesting Gen Z spends roughly 1,000 fewer hours per year with other people in person than the same age group did two decades ago.

A Loneliness Problem Driving App Features

That figure, Jantos argued, translates to more than two hours daily spent alone or absorbed in a screen rather than engaging face to face. Nearly half of Gen Z adults in the UK report feeling lonely often or always, she said.

She also pointed to the pandemic as a structural disruptor. Years that would normally be spent learning to flirt, socialise, and navigate early intimacy were simply lost for many young people. That gap, she contended, is precisely what Hinge’s AI tools are designed to address.

Hinge offers two AI features: one reviews a user’s profile and recommends improvements, the other generates conversation-starter prompts after a match is made. Jantos was firm that neither tool puts words in users’ mouths. The goal, she said, is helping people express themselves more authentically, not outsourcing personality to an algorithm.

Background: Tinder Slips as Hinge Climbs

Hinge was founded in 2012 and is owned by Match Group, which also controls Tinder and Match.com. Its marketing slogan, “designed to be deleted,” has long positioned it as the relationship-focused alternative to casual swipe culture.

Audience figures from Ipsos iris show Hinge’s UK user base grew from 1.4 million to 1.5 million adults in the year to May 2025. Tinder moved in the opposite direction over the same period, dropping from 1.9 million to 1.5 million. The two apps are now nearly level.

Experts Flag App Fatigue Among Young Daters

Not everyone is convinced dating apps are the answer. Dr. Carolina Bandinelli, an associate professor at the University of Warwick who researches digital relationships, told the BBC the initial promise of apps, offering access to an endless pool of potential partners and protection from awkward rejection, has failed to fully materialise. The absence of real social cues makes genuine connection harder, she said.

Siobhan Copland, founder of London matchmaking service Cupid in the City, said many 20-somethings are exhausted by the volume and low quality of app interactions. She noted that Gen Z is also less oriented around drinking culture than previous generations, making traditional bar-based meetups a less natural fallback.

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