AI agents aren’t allowed on Tinder and Hinge, the CEO of their parent company, Match Group, Spencer Rascoff, wrote in a New York Times op-ed yesterday.
Rascoff argues that the initial purpose of dating apps was to remove friction, which is also the goal of AI agents, but that in some cases friction is necessary for a more meaningful experience.
“We want to ensure humans are reviewing other humans’ dating profiles and sending messages to other users on our apps. That’s why we have put in place guardrails meant to prevent the use of AI agents on our platforms, like Tinder and Hinge,” Rascoff wrote.
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Match Group figured that if users let AI agents message potential dates, there’s a pretty low chance they’ll connect authentically, Rascoff continued.
Daters themselves seem split on using AI when trying to find a partner. In Match’s own Singles in America survey this year, half of singles said they wouldn’t use AI for dating in the future. While 37 percent said AI wouldn’t be helpful in early dating at all, the same number of participants wouldn’t consider AI use in dating a dealbreaker.
While Match Group has banned AI agents among users, its apps use AI in features and feature creation. Tinder launched its AI matchmaker, Chemistry, earlier this year, and Hinge added AI-powered Convo Starters last Dec. And in Match Group’s 2026 Q3 earnings call, the company stated that Tinder’s upcoming Missed Connections feature is “a clear example of how we’re using AI to accelerate the pace of product innovation.”
