There are so many matchmaking services out there to help with your romantic future so I wasn't surprised to learn that artificial intelligence has expanded into the world of relationships. Still, I was intrigued -- I can't say I've had the best experience with online dating and its detailed approach that, apparently, helps align folks as a potential good fit. Although I've certainly been influenced by dating apps' taglines and promises, I've yet to find the chemistry, connection and commitment I seek.
So when I stumbled on Keeper, I was curious. Mostly because it isn't a dating app; instead, it's a matchmaking tool that could do away with endlessly swiping into monotonous frustration. The Keeper platform uses a proprietary algorithm and a combination of custom AI models and third-party models, including OpenAI's GPT API, to match people up.
Keeper AI's tagline is: "Love at first match. Driven by AI and relationship science. Guided by human care." And its mission is -- through services including an AI-powered dating coach -- to "end human loneliness by giving everyone the opportunity to start a happy, healthy family."
With the assumption that "family" isn't generalizing its target demographic as child-seeking humans, I decided to navigate the site, curious to discover what finding my future partner might entail. What better way to spend my time than to have AI decipher my romantic hopes, dreams and desires?
Before navigating through the rest of Keeper AI's site and its psychometric questionnaire, I'd recommend checking out its standard calculator and matchmaker comparison.
There, you'll find some interesting data about the probability of finding your ideal match in the US, as well as info on how Keeper compares to its competitors in the matchmaking space.
Once you get started with Keeper, you're presented with a ChatGPT-like text box meant to help the tool understand what you're looking for in a relationship. Then you're directed to begin the AI Dating Coach's psychometric questionnaire. Be prepared to dedicate enough time to fill out all 26 of its categorized questions.
As part of the questionnaire, Keeper will ask you to reveal your turn-ons and turn-offs, along with your preferences regarding personality, location and age. The questionnaire also includes space to share results from completed cognitive tests and even your SAT scores.
After you've completed the psychometric questionnaire, including adding your phone number for updates on any matches, you're directed to a page with the next steps.
This includes an AI analysis, AI-distributed vetting, shared dating choices, match feedback and the ability to restart the process.
Then all that's left to do is wait to be matched.
Free tier: You can absolutely navigate the site without having to pay, although the perks of its Standard (free) Membership seem a bit underwhelming.
No swiping required: Keeper has a proprietary algorithm and a combination of custom AI models and third-party models, including from ChatGPT maker OpenAI, to match people up.
Serious relationships only: The only people likely to fill out all 26 questions about their deepest, most personal information and preferences are those who are actually looking for something serious.
Pricing: The company shared with me that each membership costs between thousands and tens of thousands of dollars. Pricing for Pay for the First Date and Marriage Bounty, Keeper's paid memberships, is calculated during a call with someone from Keeper's team.
Better matches only if you pay: If you're a paying member, Keeper says, it sifts through the database to match you with someone. If you're on a free plan, you're considered for matches with paying members. Essentially, if you don't pay for a subscription, you have to wait for a paid member to match with you first.
Lack of inclusivity: While Keeper may speak of "everyone," its brand positioning is targeted toward a specific audience. As in, it isn't inclusive of queer folks or people who identify beyond the labels "man" or "woman" and the photography it uses features people reminiscent of those I found myself virtually face-to-face with on the dating app The League. I noticed these aspects of the platform immediately. They might not affect you or they might encourage you to use Keeper's services.
Not enough human intervention? Because Keeper advertises as using an AI Dating Coach, I assumed, and would prefer, that the paid memberships include interactions with a human dating coach who simply uses Keeper's AI-powered data to help its members prepare for, navigate or streamline their dating experience. Instead, Keeper's home page features a ChatGPT-esque screen in a Q&A format to respond to any questions or comments about your current dating life. Those AI-powered conversations are then shared with Keeper's dating and relationship coach. But whether the coach is the same person as the matchmaker and whether your personal ChatGPT conversations are freely floating around Keeper's office are questions that remain unanswered.
In response to my point about Keeper's perceived target demographic, the company said that although its AI currently focuses on matching opposite-sex couples -- "due to distinct algorithms and logic required to necessitate the development of separate AI models" -- it plans to launch updates to increase inclusivity by the second half of 2025.
Something to be very aware of when you're using any kind of AI chatbot: Think about whether the potential outcome is really worth it to you to enter your personal information and risk a data breach.
All things aside, I'm a fierce advocate for trying anything once and learning from experience. Because you can do both on Keeper, I'd recommend trying it for yourself -- but with no expectations. On its pricing page, Keeper notes that "1 in 10 Keeper dates are still together." You can test the probability of that statistic, but it'll cost you time and/or money. You can only get one of those back.
For more on AI in dating, check out CNET's guides on how to boost your dating app profile with a little guidance from ChatGPT, and how to get dating advice from artificial intelligence.
