Bumble now learns your dating preferences to find better matches
What's the story
Bumble, a popular dating app, has introduced an artificial intelligence (AI) assistant called "Bee." The innovative tool is designed to serve as a personal matchmaker by learning users' values, relationship goals, communication style, lifestyle and dating intentions through private chats. It then uses this information to provide more relevant matches for the user.
User experience
Users will interact with Bee just like other AI chatbots
Currently, Bee is in its pilot phase and being tested internally. However, Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd has announced that it will soon be launched in beta. Users will interact with Bee just like they do with other AI chatbots, typing or speaking in a more conversational style. This unique interaction is expected to set Bumble apart from other dating apps such as Tinder.
Feature introduction
Bee will power a new dating experience called 'Dates'
Initially, Bee will be used to power a new dating experience called "Dates," which uses AI to recommend matches. In this feature, Bee first learns about the user through a private onboarding conversation before identifying two people with shared intentions, values and relationship goals. Both users are then notified in the app with a description of why they make a great match.
Future plans
Bumble plans to eliminate swipe mechanism in select markets
Bumble has big plans for Bee, hoping to use it in other areas such as date suggestions or requesting anonymous feedback from previous matches. The company is also considering getting rid of the popular swipe mechanism in select markets and using new "chapter-based" profiles where members can connect on different parts of a user's life story. This will provide more data for Bumble's AI system and algorithms.
Tech upgrade
Integration of AI into app and earnings report
Bumble has been working on integrating AI into its app for years, introducing features like AI photo selection and feedback tools. The company's back-end infrastructure has also been revamped with this tech upgrade. Despite the challenges in the dating market, especially among younger users who are getting bored of swiping, Bumble reported better-than-expected earnings in Q4 with a revenue of $224.2 million and an average revenue per paying user up 7.9% to $22.20.