Finding love in the age of AI this Valentine’s Day

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, the way people are finding love continues to evolve. From dating apps to artificial intelligence, technology is playing a bigger role than ever.

University of Richmond (UR) professor of digital humanities Lauren Tilton said online dating has been rising over the past few years, especially among adults below 30.

"About half of them will engage with trying to meet someone online through an app for a relationship of some sort, and that's compared to the older generation, which is about 1 in 10," she said.

Tilton said dating apps became especially popular as much of daily life shifted online back in 2020.

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However, nearly six years post-COVID, Tilton said that growth may begin to level out.

"We're seeing people moving about again and moving around -- there's no reason to think that these apps will continue to grow in popularity," she said. "But of course, the new AI realm is causing a disruption to this potential growth for them."

According to a study from the Kinsey Institute and Match, 26% of people who use dating apps have used artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance their profiles.

Tilton said this can create new challenges for users.

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"People can just automate the interaction with another person," she said. "So we're seeing these huge challenges where people are doctoring or adjusting their photos about who they are. They are engaging through texts with somebody, but the person on the other side may have automated it through an AI agent."

As AI use becomes increasingly popular, Tilton said it is important to take precautions when using dating apps. She recommends meeting in public spaces and being extra careful when connecting with someone in person, especially for the first time.