Hinge CEO Jackie Jantos: AI Required for Gen Z to Initiate Dating App Conversations
Jackie Jantos, the CEO of dating app Hinge, has contended that younger generations, specifically those in their twenties, require artificial intelligence to initiate dialogue on dating platforms. Jantos suggests this cohort 'absolutely want love' but are 'struggling to have the confidence to put themselves out there', citing a reduction in in-person socialisation.
Hinge's AI feature, which generates prompts to facilitate conversation with matches, was defended by Jantos as a tool for 'helping you express who you are', rather than simply 'writing words for you'. This comes as Hinge maintains growth in its UK user base, even as some relationship experts voice concerns about 'dating app burnout' and advocate for a resurgence of face-to-face meetings.
The platform, established in 2012 and part of Match Group, has branded itself with the slogan 'designed to be deleted'. Jantos dismisses assertions that this is merely a 'marketing line', insisting the company aims to foster long-term relationships, thus negating the need for perpetual platform engagement.
Recent data from Ipsos iris indicates a shift in dating app usage. While Tinder remains the most frequently visited dating app, its audience declined from 1.9 million to 1.5 million in the year leading up to May 2025. Over the same period, Hinge's user base increased from 1.4 million to 1.5 million, drawing level with Tinder. Bumble and Grindr trail Hinge in market share.
Jantos highlighted that Gen Z, comprising over half of Hinge’s monthly active users, spend approximately 1,000 fewer hours annually in direct human company compared to their age group two decades prior. This equates to more than two hours daily 'spent not in the company of another human, but most likely going deep in some sort of experience engaged in your phone'. She asserts this lack of direct interaction contributes to loneliness, noting that nearly half of Gen Z individuals in the UK 'often or always' experience loneliness.
Dr. Carolina Bandinelli, an associate professor at the University of Warwick specialising in dating and communication, corroborates the pandemic’s impact on Gen Z dating. Bandinelli notes an initial perception that 'dating apps are [now] the only way to meet people', but believes 'we are past the hype' as apps 'didn’t work as they promised they would'. She critiques the promise of 'a virtually infinite pool of strangers' and immunity 'from the possibility of rejection', arguing that 'you’re not really choosing, you’re more guessing' due to the absence of social cues.
Siobhan Copland, founder of matchmaking service Cupid in the City, observes 'dating app burnout' among young professionals. She points to a preference for 'quality connections over quantity' and notes a divergence in social habits, with Gen Z less inclined towards 'drinking culture' and more likely to be at the gym on a Friday night than in a bar.
