Bumble rolls out AI features for photo feedback and profile guidance to boost dating success

Bumble adds AI-powered photo feedback and profile guidance tools | TechCrunch

Bumble announced on Thursday that it's adding a series of AI-driven features intended to help turn matches into lasting connections, including those that offer feedback and guidance on users' bios, photos, and prompts. The dating app's new AI-suggested profile guidance tool will roll out globally and give "personalized, actionable feedback" on users' bios and prompts. For users in the U.S., the profile guidance feature can be augmented with an AI photo feedback tool, which can "help you choose the best photos and show up as your most authentic self." According to Bumble's blog post explaining these features, it doesn't seem like the insights from these AI tools are particularly groundbreaking -- for example, Bumble says that its AI photo tool might encourage you to ditch photos where you're wearing sunglasses that cover your face, and add a wider variety of photos, like ones taken outdoors or with friends. It's advice you could've easily gotten from a friend ten years ago, but it's still new information to many users. In Canada, Bumble is testing another, non-AI feature called "Suggest a Date." When a conversation stalls, a user can signal that they are open to meeting in person, which the company says is "a simple way to signal that they're ready to connect offline." Of course, another way for people to "signal that they're ready to connect offline" is to literally ask someone on a date. But realistically, it doesn't seem like users are taking the plunge, so having an in-app way to indicate interest may motivate some potential couples to move their conversation IRL. "With Suggest a Date, we're creating a clear expression of intent and giving members a way to bypass the traditional back-and-forth and move toward meeting in real life," Bumble CTO Vivek Sagi said in a statement. "When we reduce friction at the moments that matter most, we help people connect with clarity and confidence, and increase the likelihood of meaningful relationships forming offline." Bumble and other popular dating apps, like Match Group's Tinder and Hinge, have all embraced AI-powered features in recent months. For instance, in December, Hinge introduced a tool to help generate more interesting conversation starters than "How are you?" Tinder may take things a step further. In Australia, Tinder is piloting a tool called Chemistry, which asks users to provide the app with access to their camera roll, which is a concerning amount of data to feed into an AI tool. Based on a user's camera roll and answers to a series of questions, the AI can learn more about someone's interests and personality to supposedly reduce "swipe fatigue" and suggest better matches. Meta's Facebook Dating tool does something similar -- in October, it launched a feature that asks to use its AI on your camera roll that you haven't yet shared in order to suggest AI edits. As these companies try to come up with new ways to keep users happy, some young people have thrown in the towel on online dating altogether, instead seeking more real-world experiences that are not intermediated by an app.

Bumble announces 2 new AI-powered features

The dating app Bumble is rolling out two new product features today, both AI-focused: AI-suggested Profile Guidance and AI Photo Feedback. Profile Guidance, now rolling out globally, gives real-time, personalized feedback on users' bios, according to information Bumble sent to Mashable. The second, photo feedback, is U.S.-only for now, but it helps pick users' best shots for their profile. These features are similar to other AI-driven dating app features; in the last few years, as AI has taken over the tech space, it's also taken over The Apps. Hinge's Prompt Feedback, for instance, uses AI to encourage members to beef up their profiles, while Tinder's Photo Selector uses it to optimize one's photos, similar to Bumble's new AI Photo Feedback. Bumble has also introduced AI features previously, such as an AI tool to detect scams and fake profiles. Additionally, in Canada, Bumble is testing Suggest a Date, a low-pressure way to signal that you're ready to take things off the app. "We are focused on building products that address member pain points. Profile Guidance empowers our community to show up more authentically and completely, helping them start connections from a stronger foundation," Bumble's chief product and technology officer, Vivek Sagi, stated in the product announcements. Want our dating and relationships stories and more in your inbox? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter today. "With Suggest a Date, we're creating a clear expression of intent and giving members a way to bypass the traditional back-and-forth to move toward meeting in real life," Sagi continued. "When we reduce friction at the moments that matter most, we help people connect with clarity and confidence, and increase the likelihood of meaningful relationships forming offline." The announcements come shortly after a new class-action lawsuit was filed against Bumble over the January data breach. It's also after Bumble announced it's sunsetting the Opening Moves feature in Mexico and Australia. Opening Moves is a feature meant to move Bumble away from its "women making the first move" ethos by allowing men to message women first.

Bumble debuts AI guidance to optimize user bios and photo selection

Bumble announced new AI-driven features designed to help users transition from matches to relationships. The dating app launched a global AI-suggested profile guidance tool that provides personalized feedback on bios and prompts. For users in the United States, the company added an AI photo feedback tool to assist in selecting photos. These updates represent the latest effort by dating platforms to retain users through automation. The features aim to streamline the profile setup process and increase the likelihood of forming connections. The global rollout signals Bumble's investment in artificial intelligence to improve user engagement. The AI profile guidance tool offers actionable suggestions for optimizing written content. Bumble's blog post cited examples of the tool's advice, such as avoiding photos with sunglasses that obscure the face. The company stated the tool encourages users to add a wider variety of images, including outdoor shots and photos with friends. For U.S. users, the photo feedback tool functions alongside the profile guidance. Bumble said the tool helps users "show up as their most authentic self." The company did not specify if the AI analyzes facial recognition data or simply general photo composition. In Canada, Bumble is testing a non-AI feature called "Suggest a Date." The feature allows users to signal readiness to meet in person when a conversation stalls. Bumble CTO Vivek Sagi stated the tool is intended to reduce friction. "With Suggest a Date, we're creating a clear expression of intent," Sagi said. He added that the feature helps users bypass traditional back-and-forth messaging. Sagi stated that reducing friction at key moments increases the likelihood of meaningful offline relationships. Competitors have recently introduced similar AI features. In December, Hinge launched a tool to generate conversation starters. Tinder is piloting a tool in Australia called "Chemistry" that requests access to a user's camera roll to analyze interests. Meta's Facebook Dating also utilizes AI for photo management. In October, the platform launched a feature that suggests edits for unshared photos using AI. These developments come as some young people are abandoning online dating for real-world experiences. Bumble is a publicly traded company listed on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol BMBL. The company operates in over 150 countries. The new AI features are part of the platform's ongoing product development strategy.