Can AI Be Your Matchmaker?

Is ChatGPT equipped to be your 'Sima Aunty'—or your custom-fit Raya? I experimented with it to find out.

- By Saumyaa Vohra

AI is about as ubiquitous as the internet itself right now. We’re trying to cut through the clutter of AI-generated videos in Instagram Reels, attempting to decipher what’s real and what’s not between the ones that can simulate reality best. Most of us are terrified that AI is starting to edge us out of our jobs. And of course, like any love-hate relationship is, we are increasingly dependent on it, looking to it for everything from recipes and quick research to diagnosing car problems, role-playing awkward conversations, and planning vacations. AI’s popularity extends to the relationship arena, with people asking for customised sex advice, soft-dating AI models, erotic role-playing with fictional characters, and even ‘chatfishing’ (prepping conversation to seduce potential partners).

AI is incredibly present in the lives of both millennial and Gen Z daters—but Gen Z definitely wins the count. The 14th annual 'Singles in America' study conducted by matchmaking website Match.com found that nearly half of Gen Z singles have already used AI in their dating lives. It also found that 41 per cent of young adults have used it to help end relationships, 15 per cent use AI to plan romantic dates, and 12 per cent rely on it for ongoing relationship counselling. Honestly, it was only a matter of time before someone began to use ChatGPT to find them their soulmate. And as it happens, they've already begun. I was intrigued by what exactly using ChatGPT as a matchmaker looked like—so I decided to go straight to the source. I asked it to help me find someone to date. It immediately responded by saying it could help me:

1. Figure out who I should actually be dating (not who I think I should).

2. Craft how I present myself (apps/intros/IRL).