Hinge launches AI feature Convo Starters to help daters move beyond boring small talk

Hinge's new AI feature helps daters move beyond boring small talk | TechCrunch

Many daters on Hinge are getting annoyed with matches who just like their profiles but never bother to start a conversation. It often leads to this awkward silence, putting all the pressure on one person to make the first move. Instead of coming up with something interesting to say, some just fall back on the same old lines or stick to boring small talk, like asking, "How are you?" To address this issue, Hinge unveiled "Convo Starters," a feature powered by AI that provides personalized tips for initiating conversations. The feature aims to inspire daters and boost their confidence when sending initial messages. When users like a profile, they'll now see three tailored tips beneath each photo and prompt. The AI evaluates a user's profile and generates recommendations based on the individual photos or prompts. For example, if a potential match is pictured playing chess, Hinge might suggest beginning the conversation around board games. Convo Starters was developed in response to user feedback, Hinge says. The company's research indicated that 72% of Hinge daters are more inclined to consider someone when a like is accompanied by a message. Data from Hinge reveals that those who include a comment with their likes are twice as likely to arrange a date. This new feature follows the launch of its AI-driven Prompt Feedback feature, which assesses user prompts and offers tailored advice aimed at improving them by urging users to elaborate and share engaging details about their lives. However, as Hinge incorporates AI features into its app, many users, especially Gen Z, are uncomfortable with the thought of using AI in their online dating experiences. A Bloomberg Intelligence survey found that Gen Z feels more uneasy about using AI for tasks such as drafting profile prompts and responding to messages than older generations do. Hinge's parent company, Match Group, is dedicating around $20 million to $30 million towards AI efforts.

Dating App Hinge Launches AI Prompts to Replace Boring Opening Lines

Macy has been working for CNET for coming on 2 years. Prior to CNET, Macy received a North Carolina College Media Association award in sports writing. Swipe-right fatigue and awkward first messages may soon meet their match. Dating app Hinge today rolled out a new AI-powered tool called Convo Starters, designed to help users craft more thoughtful, personalized opening messages. Many Hinge users dread sending that first message. What begins as a hopeful "like" often ends in silence when the other person fails to follow up. To tackle this problem, Hinge looked to behavioral data. The company's research found that 72% of daters are more likely to consider someone when a "like" is accompanied by a message. Messages with comments, rather than just likes, are twice as likely to lead to an actual date. Convo Starters uses generative AI to analyze a person's profile -- both photos and prompts -- then suggests three tailored ideas for starting a conversation. Suggestions might focus on shared interests, ask a thoughtful question or prompt deeper discussion. In early testing, more than a third of users said the feature made them feel more confident reaching out. Overall, Hinge saw an increase in the number of comments submitted with likes. Don't miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source on Chrome. When you tap "like" on someone's profile, Convo Starters may show up beneath a photo or prompt. You'll see up to three personalized, AI-generated suggestions inspired by that person's profile content. From there, you write the first message in your own voice and send the like. Convo Starters doesn't spit out prewritten messages for you to copy and paste. "Let them know what caught your eye or mention how their prompt connects to your own life," said Logan Ury, a relationship scientist for Hinge. "That small effort signals real interest, helps you stand out and sets you up for a great conversation." Don't want AI suggesting what to say to a potential date? The feature is optional and can be turned off in settings. Read also: AI Is Here to Save Dating Apps... or Make Them Worse Hinge isn't a fringe dating app. According to recent estimates, the platform has roughly 30 million users worldwide. This rollout suggests Hinge is doubling down on its positioning as "the relationship app" rather than a hookup platform. With Convo Starters, Hinge appears to be banking on the idea that many users don't just want matches, but rather meaningful connections. By improving those first messages, the app may help more people turn a match into a genuine conversation, and, perhaps, a genuine date. "We've heard from daters that not knowing what to say can hold them back from sending a comment at all," said Jackie Jantos, president and CMO at Hinge. "With Convo Starters, we're easing that pressure." However, it also reflects a larger trend: as online dating becomes ubiquitous, apps are turning to AI to solve communication issues, such as unanswered messages, ghosting and bland introductions.

Hinge launches AI-driven Convo Starters feature

In its latest report, Hinge found that singles are using AI to date -- and they're getting in on the trend. Earlier this year, the dating app introduced AI-driven prompt feedback to help users write better profiles. Now, Hinge is launching Convo Starters, another AI feature that seeks to help daters break the ice. Convo Starters, which offers daters personalized tips for starting a conversation based on a potential match's prompt responses and photos, will appear when a user sends a like to someone else. Daters will see three unique tips, each encouraging them to ask questions, share ideas, or express their opinions. The Convo Starters are optional, and users can also enable or disable the feature in their settings. Users will also write a message in their own voice. "We've heard from daters that not knowing what to say can hold them back from sending a comment at all," Hinge's president and CMO, Jackie Jantos, stated in a press release shared with Mashable. "With Convo Starters, we're easing that pressure. By offering gentle guidance grounded in someone's profile, we're helping daters start thoughtful, genuine conversations that show real interest -- and bring them one step closer to a great first date." Given that Hinge also recently found that Gen Z daters have more trouble initiating a deep conversation than millennials, this new feature tracks. The AI-powered feature is available in the U.S. today. In addition to using generative AI, Convo Starters also utilizes insights from Hinge's research team and behavioral scientists, as stated in the press release. Hinge pointed out that both Convo Starters and Prompt Feedback don't provide copy-and-paste responses for singles, as part of the app's AI principles of transparency, authenticity, and equity. Hinge isn't the only app baking AI into its app. Before it rebranded to Bumble BFF, Bumble for Friends launched a similar feature to Convo Starters -- AI icebreakers -- back in 2023. And Tinder is testing an AI matching feature called Chemistry, set to launch next year.

Hinge Debuts A.I. Conversation Starter to Rescue Users From the 'Dating Apocalypse'

Convo Starters marks Hinge's latest move into A.I., aiming to ease first-message anxiety without undermining real human connection. Hinge wants users to skip the small talk. Instead of opening with a generic "Hey," the dating app today (Dec. 8) launched an A.I. feature designed to help users start more interesting conversations. Known as Convo Starters, the new tool pulls from a match's profile to suggest personalized opening lines. A photo of someone playing soccer, for example, might inspire a prompt about post-game celebrations. The tool reflects Hinge's broader effort -- shared by many dating apps -- to embrace A.I. carefully without turning off daters wary of too much automation. Sign Up For Our Daily Newsletter Sign Up Thank you for signing up! By clicking submit, you agree to our <a href="http://observermedia.com/terms">terms of service</a> and acknowledge we may use your information to send you emails, product samples, and promotions on this website and other properties. You can opt out anytime. See all of our newsletters "We've heard from daters that not knowing what to say can hold them back from sending a comment at all," said Jackie Jantos, Hinge's president, in a statement. "With Convo Starters, we're easing that pressure." Hinge says the feature was inspired by research showing how much first impressions matter. Around 72 percent of daters are more likely to consider someone who sends a message alongside a like, the company found. Early testing of Convo Starters boosted users' confidence, with more than a third saying they felt more comfortable reaching out to matches. Still, not everyone is thrilled by A.I.'s expanding role in online dating. Gen Z users, in particular, are less comfortable than older generations with using A.I. to draft prompts or craft replies, according to a recent survey by Bloomberg Intelligence. Half of the respondents said they didn't need the technology to create profiles or communicate with matches. Amid rising demand for authentic interactions, dating apps risk making the experience "easier but, at the same time, more superficial, more shallow," Liesel Sharabi, an associate professor at Arizona State University who studies technology's role in dating, told Observer. Hinge emphasized that Convo Starters are optional and that A.I. won't write messages itself -- only suggest topics users can build on. A.I. already powers a variety of other features at Hinge, including its recommendation system, coaching tools and safety features that remove accounts engaging in inappropriate behavior. Other dating apps have also embraced the technology. Tinder -- like Hinge, owned by Match Group -- is testing an A.I. tool that scans a user's camera roll to suggest the strongest profile photos. Grindr offers an A.I. "wingman" for tips, while Bumble uses A.I. to detect and blur explicit images on the app. The industry is navigating a delicate balance as A.I. becomes more prominent. While icebreaker tools like Convo Starts "can be really helpful," they could also heighten concerns about deception if daters over-rely on A.I. to communicate, according to Sharabi. "It's a really pivotal moment in the industry," she said. "They have to figure out how are we going to embrace this, and how are we going to integrate it, without having this just completely destroy the experience to where no one can trust anyone anymore."