More Women Are Dating AI Boyfriends

Posted on March 9, 2026
AI boyfriend

FORBES – More women are turning to AI “boyfriends”, chatbots that simulate empathy, remember details, and provide constant conversation, as frustration with dating apps grows. A 2023 Pew Research Center survey found that 54% of women using dating apps feel overwhelmed by the number of messages they receive, while a 2025 Tinder survey cited by Forbes reported that 94% of women say dating today is more difficult than in the past. A 2025 Journal of Consumer Research study found that interacting with AI companions can reduce loneliness in the moment. A 2026 National Institutes of Health study reported that about half of users on some AI companion platforms describe their relationship with the chatbot as romantic.

See full article at Forbes

Spencer’s Way

Posted on March 9, 2026
Match Group's Spencer Rascoff

FORTUNE – The CEO of Match Group set up an employee hotline where staff can DM him anytime: ‘No hierarchy. No filters. Just real input.’ Spencer Rascoff has broken down the barriers of command, encouraging transparency, so he asked all his employees to start DMing him with feedback, ideas, questions, or concerns. Rascoff reads every message and takes action when employees raise concerns or give valuable feedback. He recognized Match Group needed a reset, and is rebuilding trust and focus. Ideas now progress faster. Rascoff’s admiration of Gen Z’s talent is a breath of fresh air for young staffers.

See full article at Fortune

Mark Brooks: Feedback is the breakfast of champions. We all need to listen to Gen Z more intently, or risk missing (the new online dating) boat.

The Impact of AI in the Online Dating Industry

Posted on March 9, 2026
AI in online dating

BESTAIFOR.COM – Tinder’s Face Check reduced user exposure to bad actors by 60%+, according to their Oct. ’25 press release. The FTC reported U.S. romance scam losses reached $1.1B in 2023. OkCupid found that 70% of users view AI-generated profiles or messages as a violation of trust. AI enables recommendation engines. Safety tooling came second i.e. nudity filters, scam detection, identity checks. Now AI is helping users craft profiles and messages.

Does this translate to better long-term relationships. Harvard Data Science Review frames the tension: platforms optimize for behavioral signals – likes, messages, return sessions – not for relationship success. Hinge launched Prompt Feedback in Jan ’25, an AI coach that reviews your written answers to profile prompts and gives feedback. Bumble followed in Feb ’26 with Profile Guidance and Photo Feedback. OkCupid now uses OpenAI to generate new matching questions. 

Online dating has moved toward ‘scoped assist.’ Hinge’s Convo Starters, launched Dec. ’25, gives AI-generated tips tied to a specific photo or prompt the other person posted. Grindr is testing Wingman, for profile crafting and conversation starters.

– Daniele Antoniani worked for Badoo 2005-2008 and is a long term team member on the Courtland Brooks team, since 2013. 

See full article at BestAIFor.com

Match Group Cuts COO Role Amid Gen Z Slowdown

Posted on March 6, 2026
Match Group

TECH CRUNCH – Match Group has eliminated the Chief Operating Officer role, leading to the departure of COO Hesam Hosseini after 18 years with the company. The decision comes as the dating-app industry faces declining engagement, particularly among Gen Z users. The change is part of a broader restructuring under CEO Spencer Rascoff, aimed at streamlining operations and cutting costs.

See full article at Tech Crunch

Meetic Rolls out “Speak Easy” Dating Events in Multiple French Cities

Posted on March 6, 2026
Meetic Speak Easy

LINKEDIN – Meetic has introduced a new series of in-person “Speak Easy” dating events in 2026, designed to facilitate real-life connections through structured conversation. The format begins with a small-group discussion segment using guided questions intended to help participants break the ice and encourage more natural interaction, before shifting into a more informal social gathering. The first event this year brought together ~70 participants, with more events planned in several French cities in the coming months.

See full article at LinkedIn

Get Online Personals Watch by Email

Posted on March 6, 2026
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OPW – We’re dedicated to providing you with quality daily executive summaries and intelligence. Subscribe here, and send to a friend. We find news and info that will help make you smarter and help you make better informed decisions. Online Personals Watch has been run by the Courtland Brooks team since 2004.

Tinder to Host First-Ever Product Event on March 12th

Posted on March 4, 2026
Logo of Match Group

OPW – Match Group will host its first product event, SPARKS 2026: Start Something New, on March 12 at 2:00 p.m. EST. The event will feature keynote presentations from Tinder executives and outline upcoming feature updates and the company’s product roadmap. A live webcast will be available on Match Group’s investor relations website.

Crush Launches in Luxembourg as In-Person Alternative to Dating Apps

Posted on March 4, 2026
Crush.lu

RTL TODAY – Crush is a new Luxembourg dating platform that requires users to meet at organised in-person events instead of chatting online. Founded by Tom Sawyer and Wesley Hourdequin, the platform vets every profile to ensure authenticity and focuses on safety and real-life interaction rather than swiping and anonymous messaging. Profiles are not publicly visible, and matches happen only at curated events attended by the founders.

See full article at RTL Today

Hinge Alumni Raise $8.5M to Launch Rodeo, an App Turning Social Media Into Real-World Plans

Posted on March 4, 2026
Rodeo app

FORBES – Former Hinge executives Sam Levy and Tim MacGougan have raised $8.5M in seed funding to launch Rodeo, an app designed to turn social media content into real-world plans. The app extracts details from links or screenshots, such as restaurant addresses or ticket information, and converts them into shareable calendar holds to help users make plans with friends. After a 20,000-user beta, Rodeo secured backing from Foundry, 359 Capital, and Oceans, and has grown through TikTok-driven marketing and creator partnerships. The company is not yet generating revenue but is exploring future monetization through partnerships with platforms like Ticketmaster and OpenTable or a potential freemium model.

See full article at Forbes

$60.5M Tinder Plus and Gold Discrimination Class Action Settlement

Posted on March 4, 2026
Tinder

TOP CLASS ACTIONS – Tinder has agreed to pay $60.5M to settle a class action lawsuit alleging it charged users over age 28 or 29 in California more than younger users for Tinder Plus and Tinder Gold subscriptions, in violation of state discrimination and unfair competition laws. The company denies wrongdoing but will compensate eligible California subscribers who paid higher age-based prices.

See full article at Top Class Actions